


Bullshit

by Mikazuki_Nika



Series: Playing Games [3]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama & Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Kaitou KID retirement, M/M, Post-Black Organization Takedown (Meitantei Conan), Post-Conan Kudou Shinichi, Post-Kaitou Kid, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23456338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikazuki_Nika/pseuds/Mikazuki_Nika
Summary: Kuroba Kaito thinks he's finally free to live his life the way he's always wanted to.Kudo Shinichi has been hurt so much, he thinks he'll never love again.Things don't always go according to plan. Who will call "bullshit" first?OR, that one dramatic college AU that wouldn't have happened if only these idiots talked to each other.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru/Nakamori Aoko, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Series: Playing Games [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615897
Comments: 87
Kudos: 381





	1. A Bad Beginning Makes a Bad Ending

**November**

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

_ Shinichi. _

“This… is my last show.”

For the first time in Kaitou KID’s long, long career, his screaming fans fall quiet with something other than awe. Not deterred in the slightest, the gentleman thief simply smiles his usual, mysterious smirk, and tugs the brim of his hat lower.

Then chaos erupts.

He listens as the crowd gathered and packed so tightly in the middle of Shibuya square begins to boo. A few people break into tearful sobs, which cause those nearby to realize this is no prank. Journalists frantically repeat the sudden news into their microphones, staring wide-eyed into their cameras. Meanwhile, KID briefly turns his gaze to the police helicopters above. Surely, his faithful taskforce is just as surprised. Perhaps even saddened. Nevertheless…

_ Bodies pressed to a shadowed wall, frantic breaths, messy clothes, swollen lips. _

“All shows,” KID’s voice rolls over the quieting public, his melancholy, yet somehow still grandiose, figure glimmering under the lights of the city, cameras, and helicopters. “Must eventually come to an end. All magicians,” he says, trailing his gaze seriously over them. “Must eventually retire, and at the end of the night, the audience will always go home.”

_ “KID,” comes the whimper, fingers digging into his arms. “Don’t go yet.” _

The chivalrous thief’s smile, uncharacteristically, is not dangerous, nor is it mocking, nor is it confident, nor even flirtatious.

_ “Meitantei…” _

“Kaitou KID has fulfilled his promise, and a magician becomes truly successful… when the audience goes home with a little tiny secret in their hearts.” He crouches on the glass box which stores tonight’s bounty to be level with his front-row audience members. He puts a finger to his lips.

“That maybe, magic exists after all.”

With a beautiful, iridescent smoke bomb, and shiny confetti that rains down over the entirety of the square, Kaitou KID retires from the world stage.

* * *

**Two Years Later  
April**

Kuroba Kaito blinks lazily as a lecturer in the front of the auditorium drones on about the speed of light. It’s the beginning of his first semester as a second-year student at university, and for the first week, his professors will do nothing but discuss the class structure and run through a basic review of the prerequisite material - To put it simply, he’s bored.

The university is only a few stops on the train away from his childhood home in Ekoda, but he’d moved away a year ago anyways. With his mother living mostly overseas and the KID Lair no longer in use… he’d felt there was nothing there for him anymore.

He blinks away the somber feeling in his chest.

Aoko is, believe it or not, seriously attending a police academy and following in her father’s footsteps (the traitor). Even more unbelievable, Kaito mentally hurls into a trashcan, she’s been dating  _ Hakuba Saguru _ for the past eight months (again,  _ trai-tor). _ Hakuba himself also intends to enter the police force, most likely in order to succeed his father as chief, the damn nepotists.

But he won’t think about those two for longer than three minutes, as a personal rule.

And then there’s Akako. After graduation, she’d disappeared from their lives just as mysteriously as she came. Kaito is pretty sure she doesn’t need to go to a public university in order to study witchcraft… or maybe she’s in a witch school or something…?

He shivers.

What really matters is that everyone has already moved on with their lives. Gone are those days of being beaten by a mop and having to see Hakuba’s face first thing in the morning, or avoiding the occasional hex. Kaito smiles to himself in satisfaction. Yes, that’s how it should be. For the past two years, they’ve had peace. He is no longer plagued by flocks of crows and dark, stormy clouds over his head. When Kaitou KID disappeared, everything else that had been connected to him had too, as if he’d finally managed to throw away the clutter in his life.

Though…

The lecturer changes the slide on the screen.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss any of it.

Whether he’d intended for it or not, Kaitou KID became a part of him. When something already complete is given another half, changes and sacrifices must be made. They’d combined. There was a little bit of Kuroba Kaito in KID and a little bit of KID in Kuroba Kaito. Obviously that meant “Kuroba Kaito” was no longer “just Kuroba Kaito.” 

Kaito drops head onto his desk, startling his neighboring classmates as he musses up his hair with a groan. He can be philosophical sometimes, poetic even, when he’s in KID’s persona and confronting his adversaries or dazzling his audience, but…

“And finally, we’ll wrap up today’s lecture with a short presentation on the applications of physics in conjunction with other sciences. Please give a warm welcome to our guest!”

He won’t think about difficult things like that. There isn’t a point anymore in the first place. Everything has already been said and done. He, Kuroba Kaito, will earn his degree, then use his talents to quickly rise to the top as a magician and finally achieve his dream. 

He claps politely as the auditorium buzzes with excitement at the lecturer’s surprise.

_ Let Aoko and Hakuba get married and have little police babies if that’s what they want, hmph,  _ he huffs to himself.  _ I’ll be over here getting rich and famous, thank you very much. _

His father would be proud of his focus, he thinks.

Sitting back in his seat with an air of self-satisfaction, Kaito watches as a young man in the front of the auditorium makes his way towards the stage to stand next to the professor. Recognition hits him like the side of a building during a badly aimed swing with his grappling hook.

“Hello,” the guest says, politely bowing.

When Kaitou KID disappeared, everything connected to him had too.

Or so he’d thought.

“My name is Kudou Shinichi, a detective, and today I’ll be talking about how physics can be used both to commit and to solve crimes.”


	2. By Falling, We Learn to Go Slowly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The December flashback in this chapter is inspired by the doujinshi _[Dazzlingly Beautiful](https://onlyonetruth.tumblr.com/post/189420010196/dcmk-translation-22)_ by [M2Gou.](https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/11097324) It's SFW and you can read the [omake (LOG)](https://onlyonetruth.tumblr.com/post/190485547226/dcmk-translation-225) now too!

**Two Years Ago  
December**

Sonoko cheerfully toys with a parfait, Ran sitting next to her, in a tiny, fashionable sweets cafe just days before Christmas. Across from the pair of high school girls is the infamous Kudou Shinichi, having just made his triumphant return after missing for so long.

“So,” Sonoko says, scooping up a bit of her parfait, bought on Shinichi’s dime. “Where have you been all this time?” she asks. “Did you like, make a great escape from reality or something?”

Ran winces, curious herself but wishing Sonoko wasn’t so… Sonoko.

Shinichi rolls his eyes into his piping hot coffee, then uses a tiny spoon to pick up a piece of his lemon pound cake. “I was helping with an international case.”

Ran nibbles at a piece of her strawberry shortcake with a sigh. “I still can’t believe you were recruited for something so dangerous even though you’re still in high school…”

Shinichi gives her a helpless smile, then changes the topic. “What’s been happening here with you guys?”

“Oh my gosh,” Sonoko’s eyes nearly bulge out of her head. “You won’t believe this, but remember Yamamura-kun and Fujimaru-san from class D?”

Shinichi doesn’t remember shit. “Yeah?”

“They had a horrible,  _ horrible  _ break up in the middle of lunch while you were gone! It was the biggest piece of gossip for the longest time.”

“Geez Sonoko,” Ran chuckles, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s what he meant when he asked ‘What’s up.’” 

“It’s still important!” Sonoko protests as Shinichi sweatdrops. “If he’s coming back to school then he should be caught up on the class atmosphere.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Shinichi says. “I won’t be in the classroom most of the time anyway.”

“Huh?” the girls let out simultaneously.

“I have to be in the building during regular hours for attendance’s sake, but I’ll be catching up on the material with the help of the teachers in,” he winces, “the student discipline room.”

Ran gapes at him as Sonoko throws her head back and laughs evilly. “I can’t believe it! They’re trying to teach you a lesson, huh!”

Shinichi pushes red cheeks into the rim of his mug. “Shut up.”

“Maa, maa,” Ran gestures peacefully with her hands, trying to spare him. “Big things that have happened lately, huh… Well, for me, it would be Conan-kun going to live with his parents in America,” she sighs sadly.

A muscle in Shinichi’s left cheek tightens, then twitches as he relaxes. “Now that you say it, that’s true, he really did stick with you for a while.”

“If you ask me, taking in someone else’s kid like that even though he’s not your blood was wack in the first place,” Sonoko mutters. “But…” she frowns. “The little guy had a way of growin’ on ya, I guess.”

“There was nothing else that could be done, you know!” Ran says in rebuttal. “The entire Kudou family was out of the country, and Agase-hakase took in Ai-chan shortly after. My family was the only one close enough left!”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Sonoko grumbles.

“Thanks for that, by the way,” Shinichi says. “You really did us a huge favor. I bet my parents will end up meeting yours soon to show their gratitude or something.”

They share a laugh at the thought of the formalities.

Sonoko drops her chin onto her palm. “Well, nothing’s really changed much for me,” she shrugs. “Makoto-san and I are still going strong, school’s normal… If anything,” she straightens up and squints at the table.

“Sonoko?” Ran prompts, concern tinting her voice.

The heiress looks up with a serious expression, and Shinichi blinks. “If anything, the biggest change would be Kaitou KID’s retirement!” she cries woefully.

Ran nearly drops her head onto the cafe table. “Sonoko! You scared me, getting all serious like that! Geez, you really like that guy too much.”

Shinichi goes still as his mind races with unbidden memories. He feels like someone’s just ripped his chair out from under him, but with a steadying breath and a blink that lasts a beat too long, he manages to relax.

Funny how he can act normally when talking about Conan, but not about KID.

“Shinichi, do you know anything?”

“Hm?” He tunes back into the conversation. “Sorry, say that again?”

Sonoko huffs in annoyance. “I was wondering if you knew anything about what happened after KID disappeared.”

“Now that you mention it…” Ran purses her lips. “He would disguise as you all the time, right?”

Shinichi smoothly takes a sip of his coffee. “That’s just because our faces apparently look similar enough that he can go wherever he wants without much effort.” A snarky smirk ticks the corner of his mouth up. “Otherwise Nakamori-keibu would have been able to rip the latex off him.”

“So do you know anything or not?!” Sonoko demands.

He rolls his eyes. “Sonoko, I was in  _ hiding. _ How could I possibly know what happened to that bastard?” Shinichi’s shoulders slump. “Besides, theft’s not my division.”

The Suzuki heiress makes a face. “Fine, have it your way, Mr. Prodigy.” She soon lets out a dramatic sigh. “My dream, over, just like that!”

Ran chuckles awkwardly, trying to soothe her friend. Her ever-discerning eye doesn’t miss the line of Shinichi’s slumped shoulders, nor his downcast darkened gaze. He seems silently upset, again.

_ Maybe he feels bad about KID borrowing his face all the time? _

Whatever the reason, Ran decides, it’s best not to bring this topic up again.

* * *

**Present  
April**

As soon as the name Kudou Shinichi falls from the guest speaker’s lips, Kaito is up and out of his seat, leaving the auditorium as casually and as quickly as he can, along with a few other students who don’t care to hear about a topic that won’t be on their next exam.

His heart leaps up to his throat.

_ What the hell…  _

Of all the people from his past to run into, Kudou Shinichi is at the number one spot of his mental list called “Avoid at All Costs.” Incidentally, Hakuba is also on said list, but that’s neither here nor there.

Kaito weaves through the crowds traversing the campus sidewalks towards the student center, hoping to stop in for lunch and a chance to forget that sighting ever happened.

_ “KID… are you scared?” _

His feet stop dead in their tracks.

_ “Scared of you, Meitantei? Never.” _

His hands clench into white-knuckled fists, his nails digging harshly into his palms. Even now, years later, he can feel the ghost of his touch, those arms around his shoulders.

* * *

**June**

The next time he runs into Kudou Shinichi, it’s in Ekoda.

Kaito inhales deeply, letting his shoulders slump as he looks up at the ceiling of the supermarket, silently asking the divine forces of the world why these things always happen to him.

There is a woman dead inside one of the meat freezers.

All he wanted was to buy the beef he needed to make croquettes. His mother has returned briefly and he’s been at home instead of his apartment these past few days. How was he supposed to know he’d find a literal dead body when he woke up this morning? Maybe he should have decided to make inarizushi or something else instead.

Granted, he winces, he’s seen some ugly things as KID.

But that’s  _ supposed _ to be in the past. So why is he standing here now, being stared at by Kudou Shinichi as he gives his testimony to another officer?

“And when you couldn’t find any more beef in the first freezer, you decided to open the one next to it?” the officer prompts.

_ Hirota-keiji, _ his memory supplies. Division One might not have been his favorite squad in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but he’d still memorized everyone just in case. According to his old findings, Hirota used to be in love with Sato Miwako and was terribly jealous of Takagi Wataru. A glance at the red rims around the detective’s eyes and the wallpaper of his phone’s screen, which he’d pulled out for a moment to record the time, tells Kaito this still holds true.

He lifts the basket on his arm with a half-smile. “That’s right, detective. I was hoping to make croquettes tonight. Say, do you think I’ll make it home in time for dinner?” He fixes his expression into something troubled and sad. “I’ve got my mom home from a long business trip, and…”

Kaito smirks internally as Hirota-keiji gives him a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry, Kuroba-kun. It just so happens that we’ve got Kudou-kun here with us today. He usually gets these things wrapped up in a jiffy.”

_...Not… the answer I was hoping for. _

“‘Kudou-kun?’” Kaito echoes, blinking innocently and groaning mentally. “You mean,  _ the  _ Kudou Shinichi? The one who was all over the news a while back?”

Hirota-keiji opens his mouth to reply, but Shinichi takes this chance to insert himself into the conversation. “You know about me?”

Kaito does his best to play up the wide-eyed fanboy act. “Of course! Who doesn’t? Is it true you were in hiding even from your family?”

Kudou Shinichi is every bit as handsome as he used to be, two years ago, if not even more so now that his features have smoothly matured. His eyes are still razor-sharp with intelligence, an old gleam that stokes a fire in Kaito’s stomach. Competitiveness. Thrill. 

He immediately douses it with a bucket of ice-cold water.

“Yes,” Shinichi sighs with an air of having answered similar questions too many times. “As much as I’d like to share the details, I’m afraid that information is still private.”

“Oooh~” Kaito hums excitedly. “Top-secret? That’s cool, you’re like an American spy!”

This earns a chuckle out of Hirota, who then covers it with a cough. “A-Anyways, going back to the case…”

“Yes,” Shinichi agrees. He holds a hand out to Kaito. “You said your name was?” He prompts.

A handshake. 

He’s doomed.

If he gives his bare hand to Shinichi now, he’ll realize that Kaito is a magician. If that happens, there’s no telling what kind of questions and suspicions Shinichi will harbor, especially considering Kaito is here without a disguise.

He groans internally, cursing their similar faces and bemoaning how stupid he is about to make himself look.

“Kuroba Kaito,” he grins, placing the handles of his grocery basket in the detective’s open hand. He then fixes a quizzical look onto his face. “Do you need my basket as evidence or something…?”

Hirota-keiji gapes in surprise and then struggles not to laugh outright.

“Yes,” Shinichi says slowly. “Evidence…” he blinks at the basket in his hands. “Thank you, Kuroba-san.” 

“No problem!” Kaito grins winningly.

_ I’ve lost Lady Luck’s protection. _

* * *

_ Well, at least Hirota-keiji was right about the case being wrapped up quickly, _ Kaito thinks to himself as he stands alongside witnesses and suspects alike.

He takes a casually-disguised, cautious step away from the man next to him. Kaito imagines those pipsqueaks that used to trail after Conan all the time could have figured out this one, let alone the Detective of the East.

He hardly needs to wait long at all before the man is in handcuffs, sobbing about a stolen promotion up in the higher chain of command in the supermarket’s franchise. Kaito can barely conceal his disgust.

After giving one last testimony to yet another detective on the scene, Kaito finally steps out of the supermarket with a sigh.

He remembers the way Shinichi looked, directing the conversations and people around him as he saw fit, leading everyone to the conclusion he’d already made. An actor on stage, and the rest, the enchanted audience.

Something in his chest is wilting. Crumbling.

He steps out of the way as the detectives and a handful of other uniformed officers walk the murderer out of the supermarket and into a waiting patrol car. There are a few journalists, but no Shinichi to photograph.

With a shrug that fails to drop the weight on his shoulders, Kaito walks away from the store, a plastic bag filled with his groceries in one hand, and his phone in the other. He idly shoots a text to his mother with an apology for his lateness.

Maybe if he avoids that supermarket for a while-

“Kuroba-san,” comes a voice, and Kaito immediately hates his life.

He turns around, blinking in surprise. “Oh, Kudou-keiji! I thought you already left!”

Shinichi is there, only a few paces behind him, tilting his head in a thoughtful way. “I had to escape from the back exit. I don’t really like photographers.”

Kaito nods in understanding with an air of sympathy. “I see. Nice work today, keiji.”

Shinichi catches up to him and the pair begin ambling down the quiet neighborhood roads at the same pace. “Thank you, but it’s not ‘keiji,’” he says. “I’m not with the police - I’m just a consultant.”

“Oh, I see,” Kaito says, looking anywhere but him. “What should I call you instead?”

The question slips out of his mouth before he can stop it. He should have been trying to change the topic of the conversation, not giving Shinichi an opportunity to become  _ familiar. _

“Just ‘Kudou’ is fine.”

A friendly smile. “Then you can just call me ‘Kuroba.’”

“Okay,” Shinichi agrees.

Kaito makes a left and Shinichi follows. “So,” he begins, wanting to stay in control of the conversation in the hopes of minimizing the chances of any more errors. “Do you live nearby, Kudou?”

_ Did you decide to leave that house? _

The detective shakes his head, which makes dread sink its teeth into his chest. “No, I live in Beika. I’m just taking a roundabout route to the station to avoid the main roads. No doubt there are journalists waiting for me to pass by, or already waiting at my house.”

“That sounds awful,” Kaito complains. “I never realized detectives had to deal with so much press!”

“Not like this they don’t,” Shinichi sighs. “I’m already used to it by now.”

Kaito’s smile goes stiff as he realizes he has nothing left to say. He could ask questions about Shinichi’s work, like the fanboy he’s pretending to be, but then he might come across as one of the journalists Shinichi had just complained about.

“Don’t worry,” Kaito says in an attempt to be comforting. “I hear that child prodigies cease to be that big of a deal once they turn twenty.”

The chuckle Shinichi lets out of the side of his mouth, in the way he used to before, as if he didn’t mean to, makes something in Kaito’s throat twist painfully.

“What about yourself?” Shinichi asks.

“Huh?”

“I noticed what happened in there earlier,” he sends a nod in the general direction of the supermarket they’d just left. “You realized who the culprit was before anyone else. I saw you step away from him.”

_ Shit. _

Kaito laughs awkwardly, putting a hand to the back of his neck. “Really? If so, then it’s only because of how well you led us all to the right answer.”

Shinichi’s lips twist into a knowing smile, accepting the compliment but not letting him off the hook. “You’re a lot smarter than you let on, Kuroba. I was surprised when I saw how similar our faces look too.” 

Panic seizes Kaito’s shoulders with an iron grip. He quickly covers his tension with a laugh. “That’s right, I was really shocked when I saw your picture in the paper and the news a few years ago.”

“It’s an amazing coincidence,” Shinichi agrees with a nod. “Even Hirota-keiji almost mistook you for me at the start of the investigation. Oh.”

They pause in the street and Kaito notices they’re near the station now.

“Well,” Kaito says cheerfully, relieved beyond words. “See you around, Kudou-tantei. It was nice meeting you!”

Shinichi gives him a nod in return, accompanied by a sarcastic smirk. “I hope you don’t run into any more murders, Kuroba.”

The retired phantom thief sweatdrops. “I’ll try not to.”

* * *

His ears are ringing.

Standing in the genkan of his childhood home, listening to the faint sounds of his mother laughing at something on the television, just finishing a conversation with Shinichi. It’s just like it used to be, two years ago, except that it’s not.

Not at all.

There is a sinking feeling pushing down on him gently. Down, down, down, to Shinichi.

Resignation. Helplessness. Selfish desire.

_ I… never realized how badly I wanted to talk to him again. _

Somehow, just that thought makes a stinging lump form in his throat.

“Kaito?”

His mother is there, so he shakes himself to attention. “I’m back,” he greets, toeing off his shoes and holding up the bag of groceries. “I managed to get some beef after all.”

“Welcome back,” Chikage says slowly. Even though it’s been two years, she hasn’t aged a day. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

He can’t help it. He laughs.

“I think I did.”

_ I already know that I can’t resist seeing you again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!!


	3. This Ground Does Not Have 300 Silver Taels

**July**

“Shinichi!”

Mouri Ran smiles wide, joyful in her approach towards her childhood friend’s home. He stands there at his front door, just now locking it as he leaves in a summer yukata.

“Ran,” he blinks. “You’re early. I thought we were meeting by the station?”

She looks radiant in her blue yukata, patterned with red camellia flowers and finished with a bright yellow obi. Her hair has been styled back prettily and secured with a decorative comb that suits her tsubaki motif. She has moved on from the bubblegum pink of her high school years, though reddish tones still flatter her.

She looks older.

She _is_ older.

“Yes, but I got there early so I just decided to come and pick you up!” she grinned. “What do you think?”

He watches with a small smile as she lifts her arms to show the patterns along her yukata sleeves and turns this way. “It looks good on you, Ran.”

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” she replies, taking in his navy blue pinstriped yukata and wooden sandals.

Shinichi sighs as they pass through the gates of his home. “It’s already time for Tanabata, huh. Somehow, it feels like this year is passing quickly.”

Ran chuckles. “That’s what happens when you’re busy,” she points out. “You barely got away from your work to come to this festival!”

He hangs his head and makes a show of nodding guiltily, to which she laughs and smacks his arm. “You’re right. But I thought I was doing much better than I was a few years ago?”

“You still have a long way to go!” Ran shakes a finger at him, then calms. “I’m glad we decided to do this. Everyone’s been so busy lately… I can’t even remember the last time I saw Kazuha-chan anymore.”

Shinichi smiles to himself. It’s wonderful that the biggest concerns in their lives have turned into simpler things like not seeing friends often enough, school, careers… Instead of wondering which false step would get them all killed by the Black Organization. 

“Speaking of, did Hattori-kun tell you when he’s arriving?” Ran snaps him out of his daydreams.

Shinichi tilts his head in thought, bringing his arms into the sleeves of his yukata. “I’m not sure. He only said that’d they’d meet us at the shrine.”

“I see,” Ran murmurs.

“Who were those other people you said you’d invited?” Shinichi wonders.

“You might’ve heard of him actually, Shinichi,” Ran hums thoughtfully. “He’s a detective like you. His name is Hakuba Saguru?”

Shinichi blinks. _That guy?_ “I… Uh, yes, yes I have heard of him. Conan told me that you’ve met with him a few times now, during cases.”

Ran brightens. “That’s right! It was the funniest thing. I was at that family restaurant I told you about - the one close to my campus - and he slid into my booth apologizing profusely about being late!”

“What?” Shinichi lets out a laugh.

“Turns out he was actually there to meet his girlfriend, and she looks just like me!”

The pair of long time friends turn onto the busier main roads, heading for the station. Around them, people bustle along, some following their daily routines and others dressed for the nearby Tanabata festival like them.

“Is Sonoko not coming after all?” Shinichi asks as they swipe their passes and head into the station.

Ran frowns and shakes her head. “Makoto-san didn’t make it after all. I told her she could just come with us, but Tanabata is kind of a romantic festival, so…”

“I see,” Shinichi murmurs. “So she’s being stubborn again.”

“Shinichi!”

He laughs as they stand behind the yellow line painted onto the platform. “She wouldn’t wish for anything serious anyway,” Shinichi points out. “Makoto-san is still undefeated; he doesn’t need any Orihime-sama or Hikoboshi-sama on his side.”

Ran chuckles. “I think the gods would be angry with her if she wrote something like, ‘I hope Kaitou KID comes out of retirement!’ Ah-” She covers her mouth with a hand and peers up sideways at him.

“What is it?”

“Sorry,” she says guiltily. “I know you don’t like talking about him.”

His brow furrows as his smile twists into something awkward. “What do you mean? I don’t remember saying anything like that.”

Something akin to embarrassment and chagrin is tumbling around in his stomach. There is anger in the underside of his words and panic in their tone. He’d thought no one knew.

“You can’t hide anything from _me,_ Shinichi,” Ran huffs.

_Can’t I?_

“You’re right,” a hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly. “The truth is, every time someone mentions him, I get a little upset because I never got the chance to face him properly.”

“‘Properly?’” Ran echoes, mystified. Hadn’t Shinichi kept him from stealing a clock tower in Ekoda ages ago? She still remembers because it wasn’t a homicide case.

The train begins to roll in.

Shinichi smiles, but it is tinged with the color of sadness and pain, an expression Ran rarely sees him wear, but one that seems almost _becoming_ of him all the same. It strikes her, sudden and silent, how much more mature Shinichi is now.

“Yes,” he murmurs, just as their train appears and its screeching breaks ring out. “Properly.”

* * *

“Oh my god.”

Kaito blinks back tears, voice thick with emotion.

“I can’t believe we haven’t seen each other in _months_ and you show up wearing _goldf-fish.”_

Nakamori Aoko sticks her tongue out at him childishly. The yukata she’d chosen today is a beautiful blue that brings out her eyes, patterned with bright orange goldfish whose tails and fins fan out almost ethereally. She pulls out her cellphone from the checkered, orange obi hugging her ribs with an eye roll.

“This is what you deserve,” she mutters. “Rarely coming home, always canceling on me… if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to avoid me!”

Kaito scoffs as she answers a phone call from Hakuba. _Why’d I let her guilt trip me into this, again?_ “I’m not avoiding you!” he protests. “I’m avoiding Hakuba, that bastard.”

Aoko elbows him in the ribs.

“C’mon, Aoko,” he groans. “We’re already here. We should just find those other people you mentioned and Hakuba can join us after.”

She hangs up the phone and nods, a tinge of disappointment coloring her mouth. “He said he’s still at the station.”

Kaito sighs internally. Even after all this time, Aoko still wears her heart on her sleeve. Well, that’s something he loves about her all the same.

Reaching out, he gently takes ahold of her hand and smiles slightly, encouraging her to cheer up. “He’ll just join us later, Aoko,” he reminds her softly. “No big deal.”

She blinks at him, then smiles with all her usual cheerfulness. “You’re right. Let’s go! You actually agreed to wear a yukata, so I want to take some pictures.”

Kaito grins as they enter the festival grounds and weave through the crowds. “What do you mean, ‘actually?’” he pokes. “I’ve worn a yukata before!”

“Yeah but it’s always so hard to convince you,” Aoko sighs woefully, putting a hand to her cheek and shaking her head. “I knew this pattern would look good on you!”

Kaito scratches his cheek. “You think?” he chuckles. 

His yukata is white and decorated with blue stripes in various thicknesses. The deep red obi at his waist sends a wave of nostalgia through him. It’s almost like wearing KID’s clothes again, but also not at all.

Aoko only smiles at him in response, and soon enough, the pair make their way towards the inari statues standing guard at the shrine. 

“Ah, Ran-san!”

Kaito’s head whips up. _Excuse me?_

There, in all her devastating glory, is Mouri Ran. _The_ Mouri Ran. Kaito immediately breaks out in a cold sweat, his eyes widening, limbs tensing, and smile stiffening. In his mind, he uses the few seconds that it takes for them to reach Ran to analyze how this happened.

_Okay, Kaito. Let’s go over the facts,_ he tells himself mentally. _Aoko told you over the phone about a ‘Ran’ she’d met at a restaurant a few weeks ago. But you were only half-listening because you were cooking for your mom at the time,_ he reminds himself. _A fatal mistake._ _Had you paid more attention, perhaps you would have avoided this apocalyptic encounter._

_...But the name ‘Ran’ is so common!_ He wails mentally.

“Aoko-san!”

And with that, Kaito accepts his fate. Because, after all, where Mouri Ran goes, Kudou Shinichi follows. But maybe… his eyes roam the nearby vicinity and his search turns up empty. Maybe Shinichi isn’t here after all?

The girls take a moment to admire each other’s yukatas and when Ran’s gaze flits over to him, he bows his head politely in greeting with a smile. She returns it with a nod.

“Where is Hakuba-kun?” Ran asks curiously.

“He’s running late,” Aoko sighs. “He’s a punctual guy, you know? I bet he’s sitting in the train stressed out of his mind.”

“Ahh,” Ran chuckles in understanding. “I got the feeling that was the case from the way he apologized so much last time we met.”

“He’ll meet up with us later,” Aoko promises, and the girls turn towards the stone steps of the shrine.

“In that case,” Ran says, glancing once at Kaito, “Let’s save the introductions for when everyone is all together.”

“Good idea,” Kaito murmurs, just for the sake of participating in the conversation. 

They follow a line of people up the steps to the shrine’s grounds, passing under a grand torii gate on their way. With every step he takes, Kaito’s anticipation builds and builds, and his heart races a little faster.

He can’t hear the chatter of the crowds anymore.

At the top of these stairs, _he_ will be waiting. Kaito is as sure as the sky is blue. And when his gaze finally breaches the top of the steps to the main shrine grounds, when his eyes land on the devastatingly gorgeous Kudou Shinichi, his heart breaks a little bit more.

“Kudou,” he says simply, pretending to be mildly surprised.

“Kuroba,” comes the reply accompanied by raised brows.

Shinichi looks like he’d walked out of a Japanese fantasy novel. His appearance is ethereal, smooth and sharp and nothing like the way he had looked when they’d seen each other last, yet still exactly the same. The neckline of his yukata hangs open just the slightest amount, lazily, as he tucks his hands into his sleeves and tilts his head _just so_ in greeting.

“‘Kudou?’”

“‘Kuroba?’”

Kaito pulls out of his thoughts smoothly, as if he hadn’t just been tearing himself apart over the man he loves - _likes_ , he reminds himself, _maybe not even that much_ \- and looks down at Aoko with a smile. “Yeah, I met him last month during that supermarket homicide I told you about.”

“Oh, I see!” Aoko grins then nods her head in greeting to the other group. “You must be the detective Kudou Shinichi then!”

Hattori Heiji stands next to Shinichi, blinking in confusion as Kazuha surges forward excitedly and throws her arms around Ran. “So ya met durin’ a case?” he asks.

“Yes,” Shinichi answers, both to Aoko and to Heiji. “He had the misfortune of stumbling upon the body,” he says, but the slight, amused smirk he sends in Kaito’s direction indicates his true feelings on the matter. “And yes, that’s me, Nakamori-san. I’ve heard a lot about you from your father.”

“M-My father?” Aoko stutters, turning pink. 

Shinichi smiles kindly. “He was always eating the food you made for him for dinner at the old KID heists.”

Kaito tries not to wince.

“Oh, so yer that keibu’s daughter, huh?” Heiji’s smile is friendly. “‘S a shame KID retired ‘fore he could catch ‘im. I always felt like he woulda one day.”

“Thanks,” Aoko chuckles, shrugging her shoulders. “But my dad still thinks he’ll be back someday. Anyways,” she turns to address the group as a whole. “I think we should start those introductions?”

Ran nods in agreement and Kaito tucks his arms into his sleeves as they begin, wondering if there’s a way for him to casually slip away. “I’m Mouri Ran, and this is my childhood friend, Kudou Shinichi, a detective.”

Shinichi bows his head once in greeting, then gestures towards Heiji. “This is one of my best friends, Hatto-”

“Aoko-san!” 

Aoko visibly lights up at the sound of her name and turns to watch as Hakuba stumbles up the steps, struggling in his sandals and yukata. He braces himself on his knees when he finally makes it to their group, panting harshly.

“What took you so long?!” Aoko cries.

“I’m so sorry,” Hakuba says, breathless. “Murder on the train.”

“Oh,” the entire group lets out.

“Did… did ya solve it okay?” Kazuha asks, concerned.

“Of course!” Hakuba says, straightening with a confident smile. “The evildoer was properly brought to justice.”

Kaito rolls his eyes so hard, his eyelids flutter. _Does he have to talk like the narrator of a superhero show?_

“That’s good,” Ran says, expertly putting the matter aside with the ease of years of practice. “We were just starting some introductions.”

“Right,” Hakuba nods and flanks the other side of Aoko. Kaito takes this chance to elbow him in the ribs without anyone else seeing it, behind Aoko’s back. “Don’t mind m- oof.”

Hakuba glares at him as Shinichi starts up again, picking up where he’d left off. “This is one of my closest friends, Hattori Heiji, another detective, and his childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha.”

The Osakan pair nod their heads in greeting, and Kaito takes this chance to really look at them. Hattori is wearing a dark green yukata that matches his skin tone and makes his eye color pop. It’s paired with a deep purple obi. Meanwhile, Kazuha is dressed in an orange yukata decorated with a pattern of red and white fireworks and finished with a bright blue obi. They look great together, in Kaito’s opinion.

“I’m Nakamori Aoko, and this is my boyfriend, Hakuba Saguru, also a detective.”

Hakuba smiles with an air of (haughty) friendliness. His yukata is a deep wine color that, quite frankly, clashes with his pale skin and blond hair, but Kaito doesn’t care if he looks like shit or not.

“And this is my childhood friend, Kuroba Kaito.”

Kaito grins winningly at the crowd. “Nice to meet you all,” he says, looking around at their faces. After a beat, he says, “So how about we actually get this show on the road, huh?”

Sounds of agreement ring out as the group sections off, the girls crowding together to get to know each other as they head towards the shrine to buy fortunes and make their offerings. Kaito meanders towards the detectives with an internal sigh.

“What’s the matter, Kuroba?” Hakuba asks curiously when he comes close. “Why did you not give the ladies flowers during your introduction?”

Kaito almost trips over air. With a smooth laugh, he replies, “Gosh, what are you talking about now, you bastard? Why would I give them flowers? It’s Tanabata, not a wedding.”

Shinichi and Hattori wait patiently for the boys to join them, blinking at the exchange. 

“Because you’re a magi-”

“IIIIIIIIIIII,” Kaito slings an arm over the blond’s shoulders roughly, smiling brightly at the other detectives. “THINK MAYBE THAT CASE TOOK A LOT OUT OF YOU, HUH, HAKUBA. TIRED?”

“What? No, what is the mat-”

Kaito pulls him startlingly close. In one breath, he heatedly whispers, “If you breathe a _word_ about me being a magician to these people Hakuba Saguru I swear on the very ground you walk on that you will never sleep peacefully another night so long as you live for fear of what I will do to you are we _clear?”_ Then, louder, “It’s like I thought, you’re a little overheated from all that running on such a hot day. Let me go buy you some water, okay?”

Kaito’s smile is terrifyingly sweet. 

It’s all Hakuba can do to nod weakly in agreement.

“Shit Hakuba,” Hattori says as Kaito makes his escape with a friendly wave, “Ya look pale! Kuroba-kun must be right. Wanna sit in the shade?”

“You can tell us the details about your case while we wait for him,” Shinichi offers.

“Yes, thank you,” Hakuba readily agrees, and the detective trio makes their way to a bench nearby.

* * *

Kaito walks straight past the stalls selling food and drink, through the crowds, and out of the festival grounds.

_You think I’m staying? Hell no!_ He fumes internally.

Why can’t he just have a peaceful summer without running into Kudou Shinichi? Better yet, after two years of _literally nothing,_ why is he seeing him all the time _now?_ Why is he suddenly walking back into his life?

_“You can’t escape from me, KID.”_

Kaito picks up the pace. He doesn’t know where he’s going, but anywhere is fine, anywhere that _isn’t_ Kudou Shinichi.

_The wind howls in their ears, whipping around the rooftop in a deadly dance much like the one they share. KID, ever relaxed, shoves his hands in his pockets with a confident smirk._

His sandals are loud, so loud, against the sidewalks. _Tok tok tok tok!_

_“I escape you every time, Meitantei.”_

_That’s not true,_ Kaito’s heart cries out. His throat burns as tears gather in his eyes. _You never arrested me, but I never stopped thinking about you either._

It hurts in a way he can’t describe. He’d thrown everything away when he retired and hung up Kaitou KID’s mantle, and he’d done so believing it was the right thing to do. Now that it’s all being shoved back into his face, everything that he wanted to _keep-_

He stops.

_Was that it?_ He wonders as the everyday foot traffic parts around him like a river around a stone. _All this time did I actually want to hold onto him?_

Shinichi.

Shinichi, the one thing from his past that he hadn’t - _couldn’t_ \- ever truly cut away. 

_“KID… are you scared?”_

_“Scared of you, Meitantei? Never.”_

Oh, but he is.

* * *

By the time Kaito returns to the festival grounds, the sun is setting and the hanging lanterns are being lit. He has several missed calls from Aoko and Hakuba, but he’s numb, too numb to care and call back. He knows he keeps running away every time Shinichi is involved, but that’s what he’s done all his life. Run from his mom, run from Snake, run from the police, run from Aoko, run from detectives, run from Shinichi.

Run, run, run.

_I’m so tired,_ Kaito thinks blankly, staring up at the darkening sky. _I can’t lie to myself like this anymore._

He’s hardly startled when the sky bursts into an array of colors. 

“Kuroba.”

He’s hardly startled when Shinichi appears by his side either. 

“Kudou,” he greets, turning the corners of his lips into a faint smile. “You found me.” _You’ve always been able to find me._

“We’ve been looking all over the place for you,” he says, voice just loud enough to be heard over the explosions above.

“I got lost,” Kaito shrugged helplessly. “My phone died while I was trying to find someplace that _doesn’t_ sell overpriced water.”

One side of Shinichi’s mouth twitches in amusement and he chuckles through his nose. “I see,” he says.

They fall silent as the fireworks go off in earnest, nearing the climax of the show. They fizzle and die, falling into the water of Ekoda Bay. Somehow, the sight is mesmerizing. 

Kaito turns his head from the sky to look at Shinichi. The colors playing across his face remind him of the lights at the top of those rooftops from their memories. Helicopter searchlights, police sirens, red lights that blink slowly on helicopter landing pads. 

His heart squeezes. 

“I’m Kaitou KID.”

Shinichi’s gaze cuts across the sky to his face immediately.

_I want to try again. I want to talk the way we used to. I want to get close to you._

“...Did you say something just now?” Shinichi calls. “I couldn’t hear you!”

Kaito smiles and shakes his head. Of course the firework show is too loud. Classic.

_But if I want that to happen, you can’t ever find out the truth._

_Not anymore._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This ground does not have 300 silver taels" is an old Chinese story about weak lies that expose the truth. A man buries 300 silver taels (currency) in the ground on his property, and rumors start circulating that he did so. In order to stop these rumors, he puts up a sign that reads, "This ground does _not_ have 300 silver taels." As luck would have it, his neighbor sees through this lie, steals the money, and puts up a sign that says he _didn't_ steal it, lolol.  
> Kaito, like this man, very clumsily hides the truth.  
> His signs say "This man is not in hopelessly love with Kudou Shinichi" and "This man is not a magician" AND "This man is not Kaitou KID"
> 
> Your comments and kudos are very appreciated :))


	4. Patience is a Bitter Plant, but Its Fruit is Sweet

**August**

There are a few things in life about which Kuroba Kaito is certain.

The first is that he was born to be a magician. Putting aside his bloodline, it’s in his  _ soul.  _ He was meant to deceive a willing audience, meant to charm, meant to please and mystify.

The second is that he was destined to become Kaitou KID. Even if  _ he  _ wasn’t the child born to his parents, Kaito is sure that whoever else had been born in his stead would have taken up the mantle. Been overcome by a lust for vengeance. But even if he asks himself, “Would they have done a better job,” it’s pointless. After all, the one who is standing here today is none other than himself. And so Kaitou KID he became.

The third is that his existence is closely tied to that of Kudou Shinichi. Though Shinichi hadn’t originally been a key player in his life’s story, everything had changed the moment Kaitou KID had acknowledged him as his one true rival.

Why… hadn’t they stayed that way?

Everything would be so much easier if only Kaito hadn’t longed to touch something that didn’t belong to him. If  _ Shinichi  _ hadn’t longed to eat the forbidden fruit.

Curiosity. Competitiveness. Sympathy. Desire.  _ Fun. _

He doesn’t regret becoming Kaitou KID. Nor does he regret meeting Kudou Shinichi. But he most certainly regrets ever allowing himself, for even a moment, to want to become something  _ more. _

And yet that regret isn’t enough to stop _ this. _

“Sorry, did you wait long?” Kaito grins, wiping at his forehead with his sleeve.

It’s August. Summer vacation is just beginning and the sun in Japan is as sweltering as it is every year. He’d be safe if only he could busy himself with classes in university or Kaitou KID heists, but now that there is nothing on his mind, he’s here taking shelter from the hot sun for just a moment in the coolness of a convenience store.

Kudou Shinichi looks up from his phone, a popsicle dangling from his mouth. “Kuwobwah,” he mumbles around it, tucking his phone into his pocket. He pops the ice cream out of his mouth. “You made it.”

Kuroba chuckles. “You bought ice cream without me? I’m hurt,” he whines.

“It’s a rare muscat flavor instead of lychee,” Shinichi says, turning the stick of the popsicle in his hands, causing the popsicle to twirl.

“Muscat?” Kaito blinks. “I’ve never had it before.”

“Wanna try it?” Shinichi asks, pointing the popsicle towards him.

Kaito gasps scandalously, wrapping his arms around himself in a hug. “Are you inviting me to an indirect kiss, detective?!”

“Wha-?!” Shinichi’s gaze darts around the store. Sure enough, a few patrons look their way curiously. “Don’t be an idiot!” he hisses.

Kaito laughs, making his way towards the freezers with a dismissive wave. “I’m joking, I’m joking~”

That’s right, he’s gotten to the point in their new relationship where he can hang out with Shinichi casually. After reuniting with all of his friends at the end of the Tanabata festival last month, he’d discovered that everyone present had gotten his phone number from Aoko in an attempt to locate him sooner. And now…

He freely communicates with Kudou Shinichi.

Kaito plucks a lychee-flavored popsicle from the freezer with a frown.

_ Every time Lady Luck hands me an opportunity to get closer to Shinichi, I end up nodding my head and going along with it. _

“Were there any more rare flavors?” Shinichi asks casually.

_ Even though I shouldn’t. _

“Nah,” Kaito says, wiggling his popsicle at Shinichi. “I’ll go pay for this real quick and then we can head out.”

“Huh,” Shinichi lets out, trailing after him. “I thought you were going to steal it.”

A muscle in Kaito’s leg twitches. “What?” he asks, turning around.

Shinichi grins at him. “Didn’t you almost steal an indirect kiss from me a second ago? I’ve started thinking you must be a thief.”

Kaito gapes at him, reddening slightly but playing at being offended. “I’ll have you know I’m the most upstanding citizen around, detective!”

Shinichi raises his brows. “But you only asked about my ice cream because you wanted to try it, right?”

“You were the one that offered!”

They laugh as Kaito steps up to the counter and hands his popsicle to the cashier, but his heart is beating faster than it ever did when he used to go free falling from skyscrapers for fun. It’s taking every ounce of his training, every ounce of his sheer will, to maintain his poker face.

They step out onto the hot asphalt, sucking on their popsicles languidly.

“It’s icky outside,” Kaito complains, bumping shoulders with Shinichi.

“Don’t take it out on me,” he mutters, just as miserable. “Where are we going, by the way?”

“Huh?” Kaito blinks. “Was it up to me to make our plans today?”

_ “My _ plans always end with murder,” Shinichi says, and Kaito stops on the sidewalk, fixing him with a look full of  _ pity.  _ “Shut up,” he says immediately, face scrunching up with amusement.

“Well, it’s definitely too hot to do anything outside,” Kaito says a moment later, as they weave through the crowded summer streets. “Something inside… if you’re interested in billiards or pool, I know a place. Or we could go bowling, but just two guys is… kinda sad,” he says, deflating.

“Pool?” Shinichi echoes. “Are you good at that?”

“Nope!” Kaito answers sunnily. “I’m awful, just terrible, really.”

“...Then why are we going?”

Kaito hums. “Because Jii-chan always gives me free drinks and because I think you’d be worse at it than I am?”

“Oh?” Shinichi quirks a brow at him. “You’re picking a fight in  _ this  _ heat?”

“Tsk, tsk, Kudou,” Kaito says playfully. “In what kind of place do you play pool outdoors? Obviously we’re going to be inside a nice and cool building!”

“So you won’t deny that you’re picking a fight?”

This time, Kaito raises his brows. “Am I?”

Shinichi bumps his shoulder into Kaito’s. “You’re on, Kuroba.”

* * *

_ This was a horrible, horrible idea,  _ Kaito realizes, the moment Shinichi pauses outside of Jii-chan’s bar and stares at the sign.

“‘Blue Parrot…?’” he reads.

“What’s wrong?” Kaito asks from a few paces away, his hand on the door handle. He frowns, “Wait, don’t tell me you’ve been here before already?”

Shinichi’s gaze flits over to him. “Once, actually. For a case.”

“Eh-?!” Kaito flinches. He mentally scrambles for the information, and yes, there really  _ was  _ a case here once. How could he have forgotten? Because it happened years ago?

Getting a grip, he sucks in a breath. “Wait, I remember there was a murder here but wasn’t it solved by the Sleeping Detective, Mouri Kogorou?”

Once again, like that night under the fireworks, Shinichi’s stare cuts across the scenery to his face with a sharpness and alertness that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand, but he holds his ground.

“That’s right,” Shinichi says after a moment, putting his fists into his pockets with a shrug. He walks languidly over to Kaito. “I happened to be passing by that time, but it seemed they had the situation under control. Mouri-tantei is pretty good, you know?”

Kaito would cry if he could at those words.

“I see,” he grins. “I’m kind of disappointed, though. I was hoping I’d get to show you my cool side, you know?”

“Hah?” Shinichi says as they pass through the door into the chilly bar. “How?”

“Well~” Kaito’s smirk is colored with amusement. “It makes a great impression on the first date if a guy takes a girl somewhere cool she’s never been to before, right?”

“Idiot,” Shinichi huffs.  _ “I’m  _ the cool one here.”

“So you won’t deny this is a date?”

Shinichi sputters. His cheeks flare up into a lovely shade of red, but his eyes are twinkling with mirth even as he pretends to be annoyed.

That is why he can’t resist.

It’s so easy to talk to Shinichi. So easy to be around him. Even though they’re not as close as they were before, in another sense, they’re even more so now than ever. Now that Kaito is a normal civilian, he can approach Shinichi in their daily lives without worrying about the rules of their little game. As long as he was Kaitou KID and Shinichi was a detective, there was no way for them to close the distance between them.

There  _ shouldn’t  _ have been a way for them to close the distance between them.

_ “KID,” comes the whimper, fingers digging into his arms. “Don’t go yet.” _

_ “Meitantei…?” _

_ Shinichi’s skin is flushed red and he looks at Kaito from under his lashes. He is, for lack of better phrasing, enchantingly beautiful. “Stay?” he asks quietly. _

_ And with that one word, his resolve cracks. _

“Kuroba?”

Kaito blinks, immediately fixing his expression. “Oh, what did you say? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Clearly,” Shinichi huffs. “Well, you better start because I’m about to make you eat your words from earlier.”

Kaito grins. “Sure thing, detective.”

_ Just this much is enough,  _ he thinks to himself as he greets Fukui-san behind the counter. He wouldn’t have brought Shinichi here during Jii-chan’s shift - he’s not willing to be on the wrong side of a long lecture. If he can have fun with Shinichi like this every once in a while, that’s enough for him.

All he has to do is be patient.

Then, one day, Shinichi will look at him the way he used to before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Shinichi~  
> Thank you all so much for your encouraging comments and kudos so far. I really appreciate each single one!! With that said, please feel free to keep it up :3c  
> This chapter seems filler-y but it's good to show their progressing relationship... It's proceeding in a very "normal" way, huh~


	5. Water Flows in Only to Flow Out

**Two Years Ago**  
**December**

Kaito breathes into cupped hands, rubbing them together for warmth soon after.

“Man… it’s really winter, huh,” he sighs, adjusting his hold on his school bag.

“Of course it is!” Aoko says beside him. He looks down at her, noticing her red cheeks and nose. Her eyes are bright with cheer despite the cold. “It’s almost Christmas, after all!”

He chuckles at her. “You always make a big deal out of these kinds of things,” he points out.

They are third years in high school now, only a breath away from those critical end-of-term exams and college entrance exams. Their winter uniforms are thick and warm, but not quite enough to combat the crisp air. Even so, they trudge on through the busy streets and cheerfully carry on with their daily routines.

“Oh-!”

Kaito blinks, turning around in the street. “Aoko?”

She’s stopped in front of a wide shop window, gloved hands eagerly placed on the glass. “Oh my gosh!”

He sighs at her antics, trekking back over to where he’d unknowingly left her behind. “Aoko, we’re going to be  _ late _ if you keep stopping at every Christmas display you fi-”

_ ‘Welcome Back, Great High School Detective, Kudou Shinichi.’ _

A television store. Dozens of screens crowded up into the display window, airing the local news. The anchors on screen sit around a comfortable interview space, discussing between themselves excitedly, likely debating, and hypothesizing. He can’t hear what they’re saying, but there’s no mistaking the scrolling text banner or the picture of the newly sung hero of the Japanese police force.

“I can’t believe it!” Aoko cries. “That famous high school detective is back,  _ now?!  _ But Kaitou KID is already retired!”

Kaito sweatdrops. “What are you going on about  _ this  _ time, Ahoko?” he huffs. “What does Kudou Shinichi matter to Kaitou KID? He solves  _ murders,  _ not thefts.”

“Because!!” she whirls on him with a flourish of high energy. “The few times that he  _ did  _ manage to battle KID, he got closer than anyone else to catching him!”

_ “Haaaah?”  _ Kaito fixes her with a look. “That’s not-”

_ “I swear, I will definitely capture you with these hands of mine.” _

_ KID’s grin gains a sharp edge, fueled by delirious adrenaline and happiness. “You’ll be stuck chasing me forever you know, Meitantei. How romantic.” _

_ “Ha! Don’t make me laugh. It’s not romantic, it’s a fact.” _

At the look on his face, Aoko gives him a sly, triumphant smile. “Because of that, I became his fan, you know~”

Kaito sputters. “Fan?!”

She nudges her shoulder into him and ambles down the sidewalk. “Well, that KID Killer boy, Edogawa Conan, was really cool too,” she shrugs, grinning.

“Wha-?!” Kaito speedwalks after her. “Hey, Ahoko! No one was cooler than Kaitou KID!”

Aoko’s tinkling laughter rises into the winter air like sleigh bells. At the sound of it, he gives a helpless sigh and an affectionate smile, trailing after her on the road to school.

_ So Meitantei made it back after all… _

Not that he has the right to check on him anymore.

* * *

**Present**  
**October**

The autumn air is clean and clear, and Kaito gratefully breathes it all in as deeply as he can.

Today, he is visiting Kudou Shinichi’s house as himself for the first time.

His steps on the sidewalk are firm and true, refusing to waver the way his heart does. It has only been a few months since they exchanged names in the middle of that supermarket in June, but Kaito has performed his role perfectly. Not once has he given his bare hand to Shinichi. Not once has he performed magic in front of Shinichi. Not once has he discussed Kaitou KID with Shinichi.

As far as Shinichi knows, Kuroba Kaito is a normal university student studying engineering and psychology, supposedly torn between the two majors. 

Not once has he reached out to touch Shinichi in a way unbefitting of their casual friendship.

And with that, Kaito is satisfied.

Humming cheerfully, he steps into a thankfully uncrowded train and finds a seat.

“Long time no see, Kuroba-kun.”

He flinches, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sight of a familiar face in the seat to his left, which had been empty just moments before. As recognition dawns on him, so does horror.

“A… Akako?” he manages, strangled.

The woman runs a hand through her wine-colored hair, smiling at his surprise. “Indeed,” she says smoothly.

“What are you doing here?” he breathes, eyes wide. “Didn’t you disappear after high school? Aoko’s worried about you.”

A flash of something sad glimpses across her face at the sound of Aoko’s name - of course it would, witch or not, they’d been friends, no matter how much Akako tried to deny it - but she soothes it over with another smile. In the years that he hasn’t seen her, she’s grown even more beautiful. The maturity of her features combined with her piercing, all-seeing gaze amplifies, now more than it ever did, the otherworldly aura that clings to her space.

Even now, a few of the people in their car sneak glances at Akako, eyes glimmering with awe.

“I’ve had my own matters to attend to,” she says easily, putting the topic aside with a single sentence. Her eyes flick up to his face again. “I’ve come because my dear friend Lucifer seems to have missed you terribly,” she teases.

“Geh-” Kaito doesn’t bother to hide his dislike. “You came all the way here because of  _ that?” _

“Of course,” Akako says innocently. “How could I deny my dear friend a request to deliver a message?”

“Message…?” Kaito echoes slowly. Understanding pricks him like the sound of a pin dropping in a silent room. His expression darkens. “Another prophecy?” he whispers.

“Oh?” Akako sounds amused. “Have you finally come to see them as more than nonsensical riddles?”

Kaito’s expression flattens. “Of course not,” he huffs. “How can I believe your cryptic friend when you both always insisted I was Kaitou KID? Real magic doesn’t exist.”

At this, her eyes dance with mirth. “Come now, surely after all this time, you’ve seen more than enough? You and I both know who exactly between us is a liar.”

Kaito crosses his arms stubbornly. “Not at all.”

Shrugging, Akako crosses her legs and leans back into her seat. “Well, as usual, it’s up to you whether you want to believe me or not.”

“As usual,” Kaito nods.

She leans close to him, eyes serious and nose only centimeters away from his own. He tenses in surprise, eyes widening, but doesn’t back away. “The white residents of hell will join hands when he who slumbers awakens once more on the destined day.” She spends a moment longer staring into his face before backing off as if nothing had happened at all. “Well,” she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I suppose my dear friend Lucifer gave you this simple warning on a whim.”

“Simple?” Kaito deadpans. “That sounded just as cryptic as usual to me.”

“Really?” Akako smirks at him. “How strange. You already know everything you need to interpret this prophecy correctly.”

Kaito rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Tell your ‘dear friend’ not to poke his nose into my business anymore. Then I wouldn’t need to interpret anything at a-”

_ “Beika, Beika. The next stop is Beika. Please watch your step and exit the train in a calm manner.” _

Kaito looks up at the speakers. “That’s my stop,” he says.

“Tell Nakamori-san I said hello.”

“Huh?” Kaito blinks, turning to look at her. _"You_ should tell her something like tha-"  


But Akako is already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arere~?


	6. Fallen Blossoms Do not Return to Branches; a Broken Mirror Does not Again Reflect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guys are _not_ ready for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special exception! The proverb for this chapter is _not_ Chinese, it's Japanese! lololol

**Present  
October**

Akako’s warning and sudden disappearance linger in Kaito’s mind like the glare of sunlight behind red eyelids long after he steps off of the train. He is detached from the hustle and bustle of the busy station, exempt from the rush of daily life as he floats through the building like a dragonfly over a rushing river. His feet move on autopilot.

_ “The white residents of hell will join hands when he who slumbers awakens once more on the destined day.” _

Her eyes had been so sure, so certain.

_ But what does it mean?  _ Kaito wonders, brow furrowing as he joins the foot traffic of the sidewalks in Beika.  _ “The white residents of hell…”  _

It sounds familiar to him, but it isn’t until he’s ambling down the quieter suburban neighborhood streets with his fists stuffed into his coat pockets that he remembers something.

_ “You already know everything you need to interpret this prophecy correctly.” _

“There was something…” he murmurs, thinking back to those days filled with wooden desks and magic tricks and indoor shoes. The moment he’d graduated, everything had felt like a dream.

_ “The Sinner in White-” _

Kaito blinks. “That’s it…!” he breathes, eyes widening.  _ That damned Akako… thinking back on it now, she always used that kind of nickname for me. _

But his train of thought is thrown off its rails when he rounds a corner and the Kudou mansion comes into view. Kaito pushes aside his brainstorming for a moment, pulling out his phone.

_ I’m here ; ) _

He presses the doorbell too just in case, taking a deep breath and calming himself. Akako’s prophecy could wait. Right now, he needs to focus on how to visit a renowned detective and formal rival’s home without compromising his identity and fucking everything up.

_ Hm, thinking about it that way, this sounds like another horrible idea!  _ Kaito hums cheerfully to himself. He might as well give up the magician’s hat for a clown nose instead.

“Kuroba?”

Kaito snaps to attention, his gaze immediately zipping to the intercom over which Shinichi’s voice crackles. “Hey, Kudou~” he answers cheerfully. “Gonna let me in?”

“No,” Shinichi chuckles over the speaker, but the gate buzzes open nonetheless. 

By the time Kaito reaches the front door, Shinichi is there, leaning casually against his door frame. Kaito  _ hates  _ the way he looks in that navy blue turtleneck. It’s unfair how Shinichi can make something so simple look so gorgeous.

“Hey,” Kaito greets, smiling amiably. “I’m not late, am I?”

“Not at all,” Shinichi says, tilting his head in that habitual way of his again. It makes Kaito want to stare into his eyes or run his fingers through his hair or  _ something,  _ but he simply steps into the entryway and exchanges his shoes for slippers.

“Was the station busy?” Shinichi asks, taking his jacket for him.

“It was,” Kaito admits, shuffling after him towards the kitchen. He knows this place like the back of his hand already, but he can’t show it. “Are your parents home? Maybe I should’ve bought those sweets from  _ Mikazuki _ after all.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shinichi says, chuckling through his nose. “They’re always traveling to one place or another. Do you like coffee?”

Kaito slides into a seat, watching as Shinichi moves through the kitchen with mugs and water. “Yeah,” Kaito answers, “If it’s really sweet.”

“You like sweets?” Shinichi asks, raising a brow as he turns on the coffee maker.

“Is that a surprise?” Kaito laughs, tingling as Shinichi comes around the counter and stands near him, propping a hip against it and crossing his arms.

“Hmm, a little,” Shinichi says, his head tilting once more. The smile he gives Kaito is soft enough to make his heart squeeze and throat close, but he can’t look away. “You picked a lychee-flavored popsicle last time even though you could have eaten a chocolate ice cream.”

Kaito blinks, then laughs. “You remember that?” he asks. Of course he does. “It was because you mentioned lychee flavor just before.” He taps his temple with an index finger. “The power of suggestion.”

“I see,” Shinichi agrees easily. “Count on a psychology major to explain that one.”

Kaito grins winningly. “But do you not like sweet foods, detective?”

At this, Shinichi smirks darkly. “I like my coffee as black as Haibara’s soul.”

His knee jerks up under the table and it takes everything in him not to dissolve into a fit of laughter, instead crafting his poker face into a confused smile. “Haibara…?” he echoes.

“Oh,” Shinichi says, as if just now realizing that Kuroba Kaito has yet to meet her. “She’s the demon child next door.”

“D-Demon child…”

“It’s true,” Shinichi says seriously, nodding in agreement with himself. “Next door is the professor, an old man who has taken good care of me through the years as I was growing up. About three or four years ago now, he took in a little girl with a  _ horrible  _ attitude.”

“Pfft,” Kaito laughs into a fist, eyes dancing with mirth. “Detective, are you sure you’re not just awful with children?”

“Wha-” Shinichi looks offended. “I’m great with children!” But the rest of his argument is cut off by the sound of the coffee maker beeping.

“Of course~” Kaito says slyly.

“I am,” Shinichi insists, slowly pouring the hot coffee into the mugs on the counter - one green, one blue. “I have apprentices, you know.”

Kaito pretends to be impressed. “Apprentices? For detective work? Wooooww.”

“The Shounen Tantei Dan,” he says proudly, and Kaito will literally combust into flames if Shinichi puffs out his chest like that one more time. “They’re all talented. Just watch, by the time they’re in high school, they’ll give the police a run for their money. Cream and sugar?”

“Like you did?” Kaito teases, then, “Yes, seven.”

“Seven of what?”

“Seven spoonfuls.”

Shinichi stops. Gently, he puts down the coffee pot and then stares at him. “Seven spoonfuls of sugar.”

Kaito rolls his eyes. “No, detective, seven spoonfuls of  _ salt,”  _ he says sarcastically. “Yes, sugar.”

Shinichi’s brows climb higher and higher as he presses his lips together and wisely decides not to say anything more, instead stirring the sugar in noisily. After a few more moments, he comes back around the counter and passes the piping hot green mug to Kaito, who accepts it gingerly.

_ Clovers are green,  _ he notes idly, taking a sip from the mug with a relaxed sigh.

“Let’s go to my father’s study. There are a lot of books in there that I think you might be interested in,” Shinichi proposes.

“Sure.”

* * *

There’s no shortage of things to read in the Kudou library. Science, literature, languages, geography, fiction, encyclopedias… there’s a little bit of everything. As a result, it isn’t hard for both of them to pick something out and lounge together on the carpet, sipping at their mugs and fluffing their cushions. 

Or at least, it  _ shouldn’t  _ have been hard.

“Read this one!!” Shinichi presses, his eyes almost sparkling. In his hands is a worn, well-loved copy of  _ The Sign of Four. _

_ Of course,  _ Kaito cringes internally. He can practically see a glittering sign over Shinichi’s head that reads, “heart set on turning Kuroba Kaito into a fellow Sherlockian.”

_ I’m sorry, Lupin,  _ Kaito cries, accepting the book and running his fingers over the cover. “I can’t say no to you, detective,” he jokes, pretending, but not really, to sigh.

Shinichi only grins winningly at him, turning to the shelves once more and searching for something to read himself as Kaito lays on his stomach and flips the book open.

The afternoon passes them by in this way. Shinichi chats excitedly about the novels he passes to him, and Kaito, like the lovesick fool he is, can’t get enough of his happy expression, and so continues to suffer in silence. When they’re not discussing the books, which Kaito admits  _ might  _ be a little interesting, they fall into a comfortable silence, gradually growing more comfortable with one another and unwinding.

By the time Kaito is nearly finished with the novel, the sun is setting outside and his arms are sore from holding it up above his face while he stretches out on his back. Shinichi, on the other hand, has wisely chosen to lean a cushion against the bookshelves themselves and sit there.

“Kudou, I don’t understand this deduction at the end~” Kaito whines. It’s not that he can’t keep up with the novel or anything, he’s just not invested enough to pay that much attention to the reasoning. 

“Where?” Shinichi asks, looking up from his own novel. “Show it to me?” he asks, setting the book aside and then standing up to shuffle over to where Kaito lays prone on the ground.

“Right here,” he says, holding the book higher and pointing to one of the pages.

His mind sees it coming before his body can react.

Shinichi, who had gotten up to help him, accidentally overlooks the stray cushion Kaito had abandoned in the space between them. It catches between the detective’s ankles and with a yelp from the both of them, one in surprise and the other in warning, he goes crashing down.

Right over Kaito.

_ Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. _

Kaito’s heat immediately leaps up to his throat. Shinichi, thankfully, is not hurt, having managed to catch himself by bracing his palms on both sides of Kaito’s head. He swallows thickly, feeling Shinichi’s knee between his thighs.

“Wha-?” The magician lets out, strangled. “W _…_ wait…”

Blood warms his face within seconds, but he can’t help it. Shinichi is hovering above him, less than an arm’s length away, his beautiful blue eyes blown wide and lips parted in shock. He hasn’t been this close to him in  _ two years. _

“I’m so sorry,” Shinichi rushes out of his mouth, evidently frozen above him. “Are you okay?”

Something is rising in him.

Something warm and uncomfortable and tingling. 

Something that dissolves his poker face and leaves him powerless in front of Shinichi.

His expression crumples, painted in glowing red tones. He  _ knows _ he needs to get a grip, to get away.

“I… Shini-” Kaito chokes.  _ “Meitantei,”  _ he breathes.

The moment he feels Shinichi’s gaze grow sharp and intense, Kaito becomes  _ horrified  _ with himself. His expression is giving everything,  _ everything,  _ away, and he knows it.

When Shinichi is close to him like this… he can’t control himself.

_ I have to stop!  _ Kaito panics.  _ He knows, my face- _

Shinichi slowly pulls away from him, the air between their bodies charged with awkwardness and possibilities and dozens of questions.

_ He knows how much I love him. _

Kaito presses the back of his hand to his mouth and averts his gaze from Shinichi, his novel long forgotten. 

_ Bodies pressed to a shadowed wall, frantic breaths, messy clothes, swollen lips. Wandering hands, urgent needs, and tunnel vision. _

_ They’re just a couple of high schoolers. Not-so-smart high schoolers. _

_ “Shinichi,” he murmurs, lips pressing to bare skin. “Shinichi, Shinichi, Shinichi.” _

_ A prayer, a mantra, the air he breathes. _

_ “K…ID… ah,” a wanton voice. Encouragement. _

_ Mutual attraction, mutual loneliness. _

_ ‘How many times does this make it?’ he wonders silently. ‘What kind of voice will I hear next? And why is it that you long for me just as much as I long for you?’ _

“Kuroba, I-”

“I have to go,” Kaito says hurriedly, voice whipping harshly against the awkward silence of the room. “I’m sorry.”

_ ‘If someone were to ask me that…’ _

He stumbles out of the study with rushed, heavy footsteps, but they’re not as loud as the heartbeat in his ears. He can’t bear to look at Shinichi right now, can’t bear to see the expression he must be making, so he doesn’t.

_ ‘Just how…’ _

His throat burns, his teeth are grinding together in frustration and self-loathing, and he can hardly take in a single good gulp of air. But most of all, there is another emotion there, in his trembling fingers as he struggles with his shoes and fumbles with his jacket and nearly trips onto the sidewalk outside the house. Another emotion, familiar, but never so powerful as it is now.

_ ‘Would I answer?’ _

Humiliation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops! : )  
> This chapter was inspired by the doujinshis _[Answer is Near](https://shukumeinorivals.tumblr.com/post/177569527105/kaishin-r-18-answer-is-near-translation)_ ([Niratama [UKSO]](https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/1207381), R-18) and _Dazzingly Beautiful_ ([Part 1](https://onlyonetruth.tumblr.com/post/189420010196/dcmk-translation-22) | [Part 2](https://onlyonetruth.tumblr.com/post/190485547226/dcmk-translation-225)) ([M2Gou](https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/11097324), SFW)


	7. Do Not Believe Entirely in Things and Do Not Completely Dismiss Them

**Present  
November**

Among his memories, which have begun to fade like the covers of his favorite novels, those which feature Kaitou KID are oddly clear. Perhaps it is the amount of thrill and adrenaline that had been ever-present in those moments that props them up above all others in his mind now, or perhaps it is their lacking numbers that make them feel as if they happened only just recently.

Kaitou KID, as a rival, had been a slimy and annoying bastard.

Kaitou KID, as something more, had also been an annoying bastard, but more importantly, inexplicably cold. He’d felt the distance between them, before, when they were still only rivals. A line he couldn’t cross, didn’t cross, but eventually dared to push to its limits. When things between them shifted just slightly on their axis, when the two of them were thrown into uncharted territory but were too drawn to each other to turn back, it was KID who had changed his behavior most drastically. It was KID who had drawn brand new lines.

Shinichi sighs to himself, lips twisting into a wry smile. At that time, he hadn’t understood a single thing, but those memories, not quite old, no longer matter. What matters in his present life is the person who had been beneath him, unexpectedly trapped between his arms.

That person… Kuroba Kaito, looked a single breath away from completely shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces, impossible to mend, and they both knew it.

Kaito is different from Kaitou KID, who had never once shown him an expression like that before. Is that why he doesn’t feel the same hesitance in love as he once had? Because Kaito is “different” from both Ran and Kaitou KID?

In the moment, Shinichi had found himself both stunned speechless and unintentionally fascinated. He had fully intended to quickly draw himself away from Kaito, but became instead hopelessly distracted by the rapidly blooming redness in his cheeks that threatened to swallow him whole; by the depth of eyes the color of Crystal Violet, the dye he has used to view cells under a microscope in his forensics courses. They were swirling, much like a puddle of that dye on a clean microscopic slide as it expands across the glass, twisting and sparkling with deep emotions unfathomable to him.

No one had ever looked at him like that before.

Kaito’s expression, his eyes, his trembling and breathless voice - they lingered long after he fled the Kudou mansion, clinging to his mind like the embrace of a lover in the night. But their relationship is nothing of the sort.

He hadn’t even intended for it to leap so suddenly in the direction it is moving now. Not so soon, anyway.

After weeks of stubborn silence from Kaito’s end, Shinichi now sees the green mug he’d let him use in the cabinet, staring at it for a moment too long. He shakes himself, then takes his own blue mug on its second trip to the coffee machine for the day, another sigh escaping him unbidden. The more the days float past him, the more the emptiness of the house begins to prick at the edges of his awareness. It’s as if Kaito’s sudden departure that day had taken with him even the peaceful mood of his home.

Making a decision, he waits patiently for the coffee machine to finish its work before slipping on a pair of well-worn loafers at the entryway and shuffling out of the house, mug in hand. The air outside is noticeably colder than it was last month, autumn preparing to give way to winter, but he pays it no mind on his short walk to the house next door.

Professor Agasa opens his door with an expression of pleased surprise, immediately stepping aside to let him in. “Shinichi! You haven’t come to visit in so long.”

He gives him a smile and a shrug, not seeing any particular reason to explain himself. “Are you busy?” he asks, not-so-expertly navigating the topic away from himself but still unwilling to be a bother.

The Professor, wise as he has always been when it comes to Shinichi and his tendencies, shakes his head fondly. “Ai-kun seems to be wrapping up some research downstairs, but she mentioned wanting to watch a drama on TV tonight.”

Shinichi listens, nodding at his explanation as he exchanges his loafers for slippers. They make their way towards the open space of the home. Usually, he sits at the stools, but tonight he heads for the sofas around the television, making himself comfortable.

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” the Professor asks kindly. Not quite an invitation, but a question that puts no pressure on Shinichi. He has always been welcoming. “We were planning on curry.”

Shinichi gives a nod of his head in answer. “Thanks, Professor.”

“Of course,” he replies, and afterward, he leaves Shinichi to his own devices, as he usually does when he senses something weighing on his mind.

As the Professor tinkers with some new project on the other half of the wide room, Shinichi sinks deeper into the cushions of the sofa, eyes trained on the television and hands cupped tenderly around his mug. He doesn’t bother trying to focus on the program being broadcasted because that isn’t what he’s here for in the first place. It’s a bit pathetic, after all this time, after his battle is long over, to still depend on this household and its occupants, but as he has learned, it isn’t a bad thing. After all, they no longer live in a time where depending on someone meant painting a target on their backs. He is free to do whatever he chooses, now.

With that comfort on his shoulders like a fuzzy throw, Shinichi turns over various events from the past few weeks in his mind. That day in his father’s study had surprised both himself and Kaito, but it seems the other even more so. At first, he had assumed the cause for his behavior was awkwardness, but Kaito doesn’t strike him as the type to linger on something like that for so long. Reaching him by phone proved useless, once Shinichi could bear it no longer, for his concerns had been neatly appeased with a single reply stating that he was “fine, just very busy lately” and would “make it up to him later.”

He’d heard the word, the title, Kaito had whispered then, as if giving away his entire soul in a handful of syllables, but he could do nothing. He won’t do anything because he hasn’t seen the entire picture yet, and so he waits. Bides his time. For what, even he isn’t entirely sure, but one day, the pieces of the puzzle will finally click together, as they always do, and he will know just what to do.

For now… 

“Kudou-kun,” Haibara says, no longer having need to climb onto the sofa to sit on it. He tilts his head towards her, both in greeting and in an indication that she has his attention. “I’m changing the channel,” she says brusquely.

A chuckle escapes him through his nose at that, and he sips his coffee comfortably. Haibara can see right through him (unless he’s trying very, very hard), and so he’s aware that she has already picked up on his unusual mood. Or maybe it isn’t so unusual after all, not anymore. They’ve spent enough time together by now. Irreplaceable partners.

A drama not unlike the one his mother had been in, years ago in the role of Otome, starts up on the screen, a narrator giving a dramatic introduction to Sakamoto Ryouma’s life. His mind wanders briefly to the Ryouma “heist” - the one time Kaitou KID had made an appointment in order to return stolen goods. Things were simpler, back then, when they were just competitors on a not quite even playing field. 

Why… had he noticed? Why had he noticed, before everything was over, that he’d merely been giving himself and others excuses as to why he couldn’t arrest Kaitou KID? If he hadn’t noticed such a thing, if he had remained blissfully ignorant, would things be any different now? Kaitou KID would have retired, most likely, at the same time as he did two years ago, and there wouldn’t be a startling emptiness in his chest. Barren ground, dry and hopeless, where nothing will grow.

No, that’s not true. Even in deserts, there are plants and animals that fight tooth and nail to survive and succeed in doing so. Even a cactus blooms. Maybe Kaito is one of them.

Shinichi snorts at the thought. His musings have become so disorganized that Kaito has become a cactus. Deciding to put these thoughts to rest for now, he finishes off his coffee and sets it down on the little table between the sofa and the television, just as Haibara begins to flip through channels.

“Lost interest in the drama?” he asks curiously.

Haibara momentarily lets her gaze flick towards him before returning to the screen. “No, just a CM break.”

He nods, content to sit there quietly and calmly as she fiddles with the remote lazily. He sighs, tilting his head back gently so that his neck rests in the cushions.

“That’s your sixth sigh since I’ve been here,” Haibara notes, her attention on the screen and tone calm as if she were telling him it would rain overnight.

“Sorry,” he says simply, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. Once again, he sees no particular reason to explain himself.

“Oh, that’s right…” Haibara says innocently, and Shinichi rolls his eyes as he recognizes that she won’t let him off the hook so easily. “I saw someone who looks just like you recently.”

Of all the things he was expecting her to say, that certainly wasn’t it. He sits up a little straighter. “Really?” he asks, going for nonchalance. “That’s cool. When?”

He can see her smirk out of the corner of his eye. “A few days ago. He stopped in front of the house. I thought he was going to ring the doorbell, he certainly looked like he was going to, but he must have thought better of it,” she says, not bothering to hide her smirk anymore and hitting him with it directly. “A new lover?” she asks teasingly. “I thought you grew out of your narcissistic tendencies.”

Shinichi closes his eyes, taking in the new information. So that day is still weighing on Kaito after all. He’d suspected he was avoiding him, and it turns out he was right. Reaching for the coffee cup on the table, Shinichi hides his mouth by sipping at the cup.

They both know it’s empty.

“Something like that,” he murmurs.

Haibara gapes at him. “Oh my god, is that why you’re sighing? You’re  _ pining?” _

At this, Shinichi ruins his previous attempt at playing cool by sputtering. “Haibara!” he says sharply, face reddening. “I am not  _ pining.” _

She falls back into the sofa cushions in shock. “So that person was…” she trails off in a whisper, eyes wide. Shinichi glares. “Don’t even try, Kudou-kun. You don’t act this way for anyone but him and we’ve known for a long time what he looks like.” 

_ You,  _ he hears, unsaid. Shinichi sips at his mug again, tasting nothing but cold porcelain. “That’s circumstantial evidence,” he points out.

“But you never wanted anything concrete,” she replies in rebuttal, turning back to the television. Her words have a double meaning. She shakes her head, auburn hair dancing. “Pining like a lovesick schoolgirl,” she mutters, picking up the television remote. “You’re going to get hurt again,” she says, louder.

She’d been there for him, twice, in the aftermaths. 

“It’s already over,” he denies, his gaze glued to the bottom of his empty mug. He finds patterns in the last few drops of coffee.

At her silence, he thinks that she’s wisely chosen not to argue with him. Instead, he feels her grip his sleeve with a shaky hand and looks up from his mug in confusion. “Haibara?”

Her eyes are glued to the television.

_ “This just in,”  _ a reporter says frantically into a microphone.  _ “After exactly two years of silence as of today, Phantom Thief 1412, generally known as Kaitou KID, has once again surprised the world with a new heist notice.” _

Something inside Shinichi’s stomach goes cold. Abrupt and immediate, forgoing the process of freezing.

_ “After his final show in Shibuya, several sources have protested that the notice is fake,”  _ the reporter says.  _ “However, police authorities have denied that is the case according to previous data collected and are moving to neutralize Kaitou KID at the announced date and time.” _

Haibara pulls harder on his sleeve and he turns to her. Both of them are floored by the news, but she turns her attention to the last thing he’d said before everything had changed, replying in breathy syllables.

_ “It’s already over.” _

“Is it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _...when he who slumbers awakens once more on the destined day._


	8. A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Kaitou KID's anniversary heist is set to begin, Shinichi reaches out to the best person he can think of when it comes to handling Kaito: Nakamori Aoko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you very much for your patience! I have prepared a new chapter for you all. I hope you will enjoy it :))
> 
> I took a break from this story to participate in Kaishin Big Bang 2020! You can read my brand new work _[Imagine Us in Bloom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25613482)_ now! If you haven't already, please take the time to read the rest of the works released through [KSBB2020!](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/kaishinbigbang_2020) They're all amazing!! :))

**Present  
November**

_With the cries of ENCORE at my back,  
I shall arrive when Tsukiyomi-sama has eaten his fill  
To graciously receive the harbor’s auspicious gift  
Kaitou KID _

Kudou Shinichi stands silently against a wall, next to an apparently irate Nakamori Aoko, who huffs and puffs every minute with her arms crossed tightly. It takes only a cursory glance around the spacious hall they have found themselves in to pinpoint the cause of her mood - this is, after all, the scene of a KID heist. He can tell she is irritated with the moonlight thief’s reappearance in her life, but simultaneously happy to see her father - who is already barking orders around the property - with a renewed sense of purpose.

_ “Thanks, but my dad still thinks he’ll be back someday,”  _ she had said, back when they had last seen each other in that dream of a summer festival. 

Shinichi smiles wryly.  _ It seems like he was right. _

“Nakamori-san-”

“Aoko,” she corrects instantaneously, never taking her eyes off the hustle and bustle of the task force’s preparations. “It’s too confusing,” she says shortly.

Shinichi pauses, then acquiesces with a tilt of his head. “Aoko-san,” he tries. “Let’s go find something to eat. It seems the owners won’t arrive until late afternoon and our presence isn’t required.”

Aoko blinks up at him and he notes absently that she looks exactly like Ran when she is confused, but their smiling faces are different. Aoko tends to give boyish grins - perhaps something she had picked up from Kaito in their long, long acquaintance - while Ran’s smiles are something softer.

“You don’t have to speak formally with me, Shinichi-kun. We’re the same age, after all,” she points out, and finally, her arms fall peacefully to her sides. Shinichi pushes himself off the wall and ducks out of the luxurious lobby with her only a few moments later. He immediately feels that being away from the building’s chaos is good for them both. “Where to?” Aoko asks.

Shinichi shrugs. “I don’t know this area that well, but I’m sure we can find a WacDonald’s or a family restaurant nearby.”

They do manage to find something after using their cell phones to help with directions, and soon enough, the pair of not-quite-friends are slipping into a comfortable booth and browsing through their menus. Shinichi notes that Aoko’s mood seems to improve considerably thanks to the combination of leaving the heist site and the prospect of food.

Good.

When their food arrives, Aoko spends a few minutes eating peacefully and Shinichi mirrors her. She is dipping a french fry into a tiny mound of ketchup when he finally feels her gaze on his face.

“Thank you for getting me out of there, Shinichi-kun,” she says amiably.

Shinichi meets her gaze with a nod of his head. “It was nothing. I was actually starting to get restless in there.”

It is  _ Aoko  _ who was restless. Shinichi could have spent that time conducting an investigation independent of the task force’s operations and they both know it. Despite that, he had stood silently by her side for the better part of the busy morning, noticed her mounting irritation, invited her out to eat with him, and spared her the embarrassment by claiming  _ he  _ was the one who had needed air. 

She already has an inkling as to why.

“So, how have you been recently, Shinichi-kun? I haven’t seen you since July,” she starts them off.

Shinichi takes a sip of his soft drink. “Okay,” he answers. “I’m balancing school and detective work as well as I can.”

“Which means not at all, right?” Aoko titters. “Ran-chan told me a little about your habits. I hope you don’t mind,” she bows her head in consideration.

They move carefully, both carrying questions they can not seem to ask directly - not with their level of acquaintanceship. But Shinichi’s lips twitch up into an amused smirk at her teasing.

“Complaining about me, was she?” he chuckles. “I do an  _ excellent  _ job maintaining both aspects of my life, thank you very much,” he huffs playfully.

Aoko tilts her head curiously. “Are you planning to go to an academy?” she asks. “Sagu-  _ Hakuba-kun _ and I both attend one,” she tacks on.

Shinichi doesn’t bat an eye at her stumble - he knows the two students are seeing each other, and that referring to a lover by their given name to a third party’s face can feel embarrassing. “No,” he answers without missing a beat. “I’m planning to elevate my position as a consultant to full-time after I graduate.”

“So you’ll be going pro.”

Shinichi nods. “What about you?” he asks slowly. “What kind of police work are you hoping to get into?”

“Definitely not traffic, that’s for sure,” she sighs, her cheeks puffing out momentarily. “I’d like to do something with a little more… impact,” she says delicately.

_ “Don’t underestimate the traffic division!”  _ he hears Yumi-keiji yell passionately from the depths of his memories. A smile threatens to twitch onto his lips, but he manages an understanding nod for Aoko instead. So far, they have touched on the topics of school, work, and their passions, but Aoko has not yet found what she is searching for in his expression.

Suddenly, a memory of a wan, resigned smile comes to the forefront of her mind. An expression of hopeless affection that she had seen in the sunlight pouring in over stone steps through a canopy of green leaves overhead. A giant  _ torii _ gate, and a tone of voice she has not heard in a long, long time.

_ “Kudou.” _

_ “Kuroba.” _

Licking her lips, she takes the plunge.

“Kaito  _ really  _ disapproves of me becoming a police officer,” she says lightly, her tone prompting more discussion on the matter even as she complained.

The corner of Shinichi’s brow twitches.  _ Aha, I see now,  _ she thinks to herself, unable to hide a small, satisfied smile. So that is why he has been so considerate to her all day.

“Really?” Shinichi asked casually. “Why is that?”

If she thought she had his attention before, as they made small talk over their meal, she most certainly has it now. The detective’s gaze refuses to move away from her face, alert and waiting.

“Kaito’s never liked law enforcement,” she waves a hand dismissively. This is not what Shinichi wants to hear and she knows it. “Thinks they’re all critics,” she mutters, huffing. “He’s been really busy lately.”

“‘Busy?’” he echoes.

At the glint of recognition in his eyes and the roll of emotion under his tone, she deduces he has heard the same excuse from Kaito himself.

“His mother’s coming home.”

Shinichi blinks. “I knew Kuroba was living in his own apartment, but I wasn’t aware his mother wasn’t still at his childhood home.”

Aoko shakes her head. “She works overseas, so she’s usually traveling.” A smile comes to her lips. “She comes back every few months. I think he’s just preparing his things so he can be with her.”

“I see…” Shinichi murmurs, settling back into the cushions of the booth. “I understand. My parents have spent most of their time traveling too, ever since I was young. It’s a hassle when they suddenly decide to come back,” he sighs and it has an edge to it, likely reliving his parents’ insanity.

Aoko smiles in understanding, then looks around their table with a sigh. “I guess we should be heading back soon.”

“You’re right,” Shinichi agrees quickly. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I was prying today, but I’m glad we had a chance to talk.”

This time, Aoko’s smile is knowing. “Don’t worry about it, Shinichi-kun. Next time, if there’s anything you need…” she trails off, deliberately fixing her gaze on his face as he stands up. The only indication she receives that he is hearing her unsaid words is in the pause of his hand on the table. “Just ask,” she finishes, her smile turning friendly.

_ If something about Kaito is troubling you, just ask. _

She sees his head tilt just so - a habit she had noticed back in July - as she scoots out of the booth herself. “Of course.”

_ Thank you. _

Next time - if there even  _ is  _ a next time - he will not have to wade through pesky social norms and the rules of shallow acquaintanceships to ask her about Kaito. He does not particularly like using her like that anyway - Aoko is great and he thinks they could become good friends, though he is not sure if he wants to have  _ two  _ Rans around.

Who knows, he shrugs mentally as they make their way through the city streets. If these KID heists continue, she may even take up her father’s mantle in the future.

He smirks.

_ That’ll be the day. _

* * *

“My name is Minamoto Kousuke,” a tall, handsome man greets. He reaches a hand out towards Shinichi with a business-like smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Kudou-tantei. Your reputation precedes you! Please do your best for our Minamoto Conglomerate.”

Shinichi tilts his head thoughtfully, grasping the man’s hand tightly. “I will do my best.”

He appears to be in his early thirties - a bit young to sit in the seat of CEO, Shinichi thinks. Before he can politely prod the man for details, the woman next to him reaches a hand out as well.

“And I’m Minamoto Ayako,” she greets, smiling pleasantly. “Please do not be afraid to ask us for anything you need tonight. We will do our best to support you as you arrest Kaitou KID!”

A boisterous laugh interrupts Shinichi’s reply. “Nakamori-keibu,” he blinks.

“You can leave KID’s arrest to me,” the man declares boldly. “This  _ consultant  _ will be acting as our support this time around, after all.”

An awkward expression immediately comes over the pair’s expression as they smile. “I see…” Kousuke laughs.

Shinichi catches sight of Aoko storming toward their group and immediately recognizes her intentions.  _ That’s the same face Ran makes when she’s about to scold Occhan, _ he laughs internally. He takes a step to the side, cutting off her line of sight with a light smile in her direction. She pauses her advance with a curious look, the anger on her features clearing.

“Nakamori-keibu has made capturing Kaitou KID his life’s work,” Shinichi smiles disarmingly towards the group. “He was the first to believe that damn thief would come out of retirement at some point, after all.”

“Huh?” Nakamori-keibu blinks dumbly, gaping slightly in surprise before hurriedly smiling and nodding. “Yes, exactly! You’re in good hands here, Minamoto-san. Now if you wouldn’t mind leaving the scene…”

Shinichi steps away from the adults, shaking his head as a chuckle escapes through his nose. “Seems like your father learned a few tricks for getting people out of his crime scene faster, huh?” he says to Aoko.

“He’s not the only one who’s learned a few tricks!” she shoots back, looking at him with a sense of bewilderment. “Be honest, did you kiss up to him so that he wouldn’t bother you for the rest of the night?”

Shinichi crosses his arms defensively, looking away from her. “Not at all,” he says. Aoko watches with increasing fascination as his cheeks flush pink and he scratches his cheek awkwardly. “Well - maybe a little, but what I said is true anyway.” He turns his head and settles an unreadable gaze on the inspector once more, who is preening at his success in driving unwanted parties away from the scene. Aoko takes a moment to glance at her father as well but soon finds herself drawn back to Shinichi’s stare. “I didn’t think that guy would come out of retirement, but Nakamori-keibu alone believed otherwise.” He relaxes, finally looking at her with a funny little quirk of his lips. “Looks like I still have a long way to go,” he jokes.

Stunned, Aoko simply stares at him for a long moment before surprising everyone in the spacious lobby with a loud, boisterous laugh reminiscent of her father’s. Shinichi jolts in surprise, his ‘cool guy lean’ against the wall falling apart as he watches her double over in her fit of laughter. 

She calms down quickly, one arm wrapped around her gut as the other comes up to wipe a stray tear that has squeezed out of her eyes. “S-Sorry,” she apologizes breathlessly, but the smile on her face does not match her words. “You just surprised me! I remember watching you at heists years ago - you were my idol then - thinking you were kind of an ass!”

“Wha-?! Idol?!”

“Yeah!” she nods excitedly, giggles bubbling out of her mouth. “You  _ and  _ the KID Killer. You two were always the closest to capturing that bastard, out of everyone else.”

Shinichi blinks at her foul mouth, then directs an awkward glance towards Nakamori-keibu once more, realizing where it must come from. “Th-anks,” he stammers, almost missing his window of opportunity to reply promptly. “Anyway, I had fun chatting with you Aoko-san, but I really do need to take a look around this place myself.”

Aoko waves him off cheerfully with another boyish grin in encouragement, most likely laughing internally at his blatant desire to escape. She sighs, letting herself calm down and her shoulders fall with her breath.

_ I was scared,  _ she thinks to herself with a wistful smile.  _ But I think he’s great. You’ll be just fine, Kaito. _

_ You’ll be just fine. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for your patience waiting for this chapter. I know it doesn't come with the emotional relief you may have been hoping for, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! I rather like the idea of Shinichi and Aoko bonding over how much of a hassle Kaito is, hahaha.  
> I apologize if Shinichi seems a little OOC this time, but please do keep in mind that this is two years post-canon; he has learned many lessons over the course of the B.O.'s takedown and his return to life as Kudou Shinichi. So let's just slap the "character development" label over it, hm? XD
> 
> Please feel free to leave me a comment, kudo, or bookmark! I appreciate every single one :))
> 
> I'll be back soon with our next update!!


	9. One Courts Misfortune by Flaunting Wealth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week prior to Kaitou KID's Revival Heist, Hakuba Saguru deciphers the advance notice for the taskforce.  
> In the present, Kudou Shinichi has just finished his preliminary investigation into the location, target, and people involved in the heist. But everything is not as it seems...?

**November  
One Week Before Kaitou KID’s Revival Heist**

“The first line is obvious,” Hakuba Saguru announces, kicking off the mandatory heist briefing for the Kaitou KID Taskforce. At the sound of his voice, the reunited officers fall into a familiar, practiced silence.

“‘With the cries of ENCORE at my back…’” Nakamori-keibu squints at the KID card in his hand, which has been placed inside a plastic ziplock bag for safe handling. “This must be about the anniversary date.”

“Correct,” Saguru nods, earning an indignant eyebrow twitch from the inspector. “KID is implying here that his  _ fans - ” _ This he says with a layer of annoyance coating his tone. “ - have been calling him back to the stage. From this, we can safely assume that the heist date coincides with the two-year mark since his final show in Shibuya.”

Nakamori-keibu grumbles to himself before moving onto the next line. “Then, what is this about Tsukiyomi-sama?”

“‘I shall arrive when Tsukiyomi-sama has eaten his fill…’” Hakuba places a fist at his chin. “This line requires a bit of deciphering. First and foremost, from the words, ‘I shall arrive when,’ we know that KID is telling us what time the heist will take place.”

“It must be at night,” Nakamori’s assistant chirps, looking up from his miniature police notebook. “He mentions Tsukiyomi-sama, the god of the moon, after all.”

“Indeed,” Hakuba agrees. 

“Isn’t there a story about Tsukiyomi-sama eating a feast?” another officer speaks up, politely raising a hand.

“Yeah,” the Inspector answers, “Maybe the location of the heist has something to do with food…”

This time, Saguru shakes his head, his blond bangs hardly ruffled. “Not quite. The hint we need is in the third line, which references the sea.”

“Ah, that’s right,” the assistant blinks. “KID uses the word ‘harbor!’”

“Does that mean the heist will take place somewhere near the sea?!” Nakamori-keibu demands, the notecard in his hand nearly crumpling as his blood pressure rises. “Damn that thief, he wants us on the ocean again?!”

“Well - let’s slow down,” Saguru coughs awkwardly. “We haven’t finished unraveling the second line yet.” It is only when Nakamori-keibu reluctantly relaxes the tension in his shoulders that the young detective continues. “I have reason to believe KID is using the sea to indicate what time his heist will take place.”

“You can use the sea to tell the time?” someone asks, confusion twisting their voice.

“Not exactly,” Saguru replies, holding a palm up to stop the Inspector from demanding he explains. “At first, I thought ‘when Tsukiyomi-sama eats his fill’ referred to the full moon. Oddly enough, the date of the next full moon disagrees with what KID told us in the first line. Therefore, we must work with the next most-fitting solution.”

“Which is?” Nakamori-keibu raises a brow as his foot taps against the floor impatiently.

Saguru tilts his head in acknowledgment. “I believe KID is referring to the relationship between the moon and the sea,” he finally says. “That is, the moon’s gravitational pull and the tide.”

Nakamori’s assistant hums thoughtfully. “Now that I think about it, I do remember something about that from my school days.”

The Inspector fixes him with an unimpressed look. “Listen here you, the moon’s gravity is what causes the push-and-pull motion of the tide. It’s strongest when the moon is-” he pauses mid-rant, eyes widening. “…That’s it! The tide is strongest when the moon is closest to the earth!”

Saguru shakes his head helplessly, shrugging as he smiles. “That’s not everything when it comes to the moon’s influence over the sea, but well - that is the gist of what we need for this notice.”

“I still don’t understand,” an officer whines, slumping in their chair. “What does Tsukiyomi-sama eating his fill have to do with that?”

“Nakamori-keibu just said it, didn’t he?” Saguru smirks, crossing his arms. “He said the moon’s influence is strongest at its perigee. Let’s put it another way: What happens when you eat your fill?”

“You want to take a nap!”

This earns a round of laughter, the sound filled with the secretive happiness of the task force members at being reunited. Not even Nakamori-keibu, with his temper, has the heart to scold them for being unprofessional.

The room quiets gradually before someone else carefully suggests, “You… become cheerful?”

“Right,” Saguru politely replies. “In other words, you regain your  _ strength.” _ He smiles, satisfied, as the team falls into thoughtful silence. “That is why I believe KID will strike during the evening high tide the day of his anniversary, at exactly-” He pulls his signature pocket watch out of his coat before typing away at his cell phone. “- 22:37:00.”

There is a moment of excited murmuring before Nakamori-keibu clears his throat, silencing the taskforce once more.

“So we have the date and time. What about the target?” he asks in a no-nonsense tone.

Saguru holds up his own copy of the advance notice. “To answer this question, we return our attention to the third line.” At the painful expressions he sees in the audience, the blond adds, “Don’t worry, we’ve already solved the hardest part of this notice.”

“KID says he will arrive ‘to graciously receive the harbor’s auspicious gift.’”

“Does ‘to graciously receive’ tell us anything important?” Nakamori’s assistant asks, referring to how the beginning of the second line had held its own hint.

“Other than ‘KID is a pretentious bastard?’ No.”

“Oh.”

“KID uses his typical flowery language here, but he is essentially telling us what his target is,” Saguru clarifies. 

“Using the words ‘the harbor’s auspicious gift.’” Nakamori-keibu states confidently.

“Indeed,” the young detective nods. “We all know KID only targets big jewels. In that case, this line is easy to understand. What is the only type of big jewel that comes from the sea?”

“A pearl!”

The task force members raise their voices in a collective cheer, and this time, their excited chatter is not subdued by their superior, for as the pieces of the puzzle finally slot together, Nakamori-keibu pales. “Oi, oi… by ‘pearl’ does he mean…”

The young detective smirks, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall comfortably. Even in the depths of the shadows as he is now, Hakuba Saguru’s garnet eyes glow with inextinguishable fire.

“Kaitou KID will arrive in one week’s time, at 10:37 PM, to steal the most important pearl of the year - the  _ Foam of Venus.” _

* * *

**Present**

“You’re back?” Aoko prompts, covering a yawn with her hand.

Shinichi nods silently in reply, but it is immediately clear to her that only half of his attention - maybe even less - is on her. There is a thoughtful look in his eyes, and Aoko can imagine the gears in his mind turning. She gives a helpless smile at this, already used to this kind of behavior from the other detectives in her life.

“Did you find anything?” she asks as he returns to his lean against the wall where he had been an hour prior.

He spares her a glance as if not having expected her interest.

“I  _ am  _ a fan,” Aoko reminds him if only to see him turn pink again. She snickers when he does.

“In that case, let me start from the beginning…” Shinichi takes a moment to clear his throat before nodding in the direction of the lobby. “The  _ Foam of Venus  _ belongs to and has been displayed by the Minamoto family and the Conglomerate for many years. After a series of bad profits, the Conglomerate’s stocks have decreased in value… a lot of people are contributing this to the new CEO, Minamoto Kousuke, who has only just taken over this fiscal year after his father’s untimely death.”

“What happened to him?” Aoko gasps in surprise, a hand to her chest in pity.

“Traffic accident,” Shinichi answers. “Minamoto Kousuke-san has inherited the company a few years earlier than planned as a result.”

“I see…” Aoko murmurs. “So that’s why people think the company is doing badly.”

Shinichi nods, gaze flitting over the heist preparations. “It’s thanks to that poor performance that the Minamoto Corporation has been pressured into stepping down from their position as the flagship of the conglomerate, leaving the Ogawa Corporation to take their place by buying their shares.”

Aoko’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. “Wait a second, aren’t these two companies…!”

“Yes,” Shinichi answers the incomplete question darkly. “They’re both some of the most important corporations in Japan’s economy. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Minamoto Conglomerate is on the level of the Suzuki Financial Group.”

“But how could a company like that be pressured into stepping down in less than a year?!” Aoko demands, her tone hushed. “Instead of ‘Minamoto Conglomerate,’ it would become ‘Ogawa Conglomerate!’”

He smirks at her, pleased at how quickly she has been able to pick up on his explanation. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Either the situation goes to prove just how poorly Kousuke-san has been handling the Minamoto Conglomerate, or there is something else going on behind the scenes - there they are now,” Shinichi says suddenly, nodding towards a couple dressed in expensive professional clothing. “Ogawa Yuuichirou-san and his wife, Sayuri-san.”

“Ah, I see them,” Aoko says after standing on the tips of her toes to peer over the heads of the crowd. Speaking to her father now is a dark-haired, middle-aged man and a delicate-looking lady who gives her the impression of not being involved in company politics the way Minamoto Ayako had seemed.

“To celebrate the seemingly-happy change, the companies are having a banquet in the ballroom of the building,” Shinichi says almost off-handedly. “Afterwards, the Minamotos will present the  _ Foam of Venus  _ to the Ogawas as a symbol of their passing the reins.”

“Really?” Aoko turns towards him again. “Don’t tell me the pearl is in the ballroom with them again. I heard that happened during the heist on the  _ Selizabeth.” _

Shinichi twitches in surprise, then laughs at the memory of the  _ Black Star  _ heist. “Now that you mention it, this heist is eerily similar to the first one I challenged him at.”

It is only when Aoko fixes him with a befuddled look that he realizes his mistake. 

“I didn’t know you were at that heist, Shinichi-kun.”

He jolts in realization, then smiles distantly at the young lady. “I didn’t know you were there either, Aoko-san.”

She blinks, the confusion on her face momentarily dropping off. “I wasn’t,” Aoko shakes her head. “I heard it all from Kaito the day after.” Then, an exasperated expression fills her face and her voice. “He went as KID’s biggest fan and came back with a cold from swimming in the ocean! Can you believe how much of an idiot he is sometimes?”

Shinichi’s laughter is strained with the awkward relief that comes with not being caught in another lie. “I see.”

“Anyway, if they’re not holding the banquet in the same room as the pearl, then how are they going to have it on display?” Aoko asks, rerouting the conversation.

“The pearl is on the floor below the ballroom,” Shinichi says, finally relaxing. “Guests will be allowed to pass through the display room one-way, in pairs or in groups of three, before heading upstairs to the party.”

Aoko hums interestedly at the information. “I guess I’ll have to see it there first then.”

He turns towards her. “You want to go?”

She shrugs, the corners of her lips pulling tightly into a flat smile. “I thought it would be a good way to kill time while waiting for my dad, since I can go with Sagu- I mean,  _ Hakuba-kun,”  _ she corrects with a wince. “Besides, joining the party could be fun!” Aoko then gives him a considerate, side-long glance. “Are  _ you _ going to the party, Shinichi-kun?”

Immediately, he holds a palm up to decline. “No, I think I’ll pass this time-”

“Of course you will!” She interrupts sunnily. “After all, KID could be hiding among the guests.”

Aoko tries not to laugh at the way Shinichi’s expression rigidly turns sour at the thought of attending the banquet.

“Come on,” she says, tugging his elbow. “There’s still a little time before the party starts and you’ve already conducted your investigation. We’ll be cutting it close, but we should both head home to change! I’m sure Ran-chan would be willing to help you pick something out.”

Shinichi’s expression sours even further, if possible, at the thought of Ran dressing him up as she pleases.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito has disappeared from the chapters of this fic like he disappeared from Shinichi's life 💀


	10. History Repeats Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoko reconnects with Saguru, turning Kaitou KID's Revival Heist and the Minamoto Conglomerate's party into a date.  
> The truth behind the summer of two years ago begins to reveal itself.  
> Kaitou KID's show begins, but his opening statement complicates matters.

**November  
Present**

Nakamori Aoko releases a small, pleased sigh as she finally links her arm with her boyfriend’s. “I haven’t seen you all day,” she complains lightly.

He bows his head down towards her with an apologetic smile. “You’ll have to forgive me for not being able to turn tonight into a real date.”

Hakuba Saguru looks absolutely dashing in his semi-formal suit, complete with a pair of comfortable slacks and a thin suit jacket. He has purposely chosen clothing that will allow him to chase after tonight’s notorious guest, Kaitou KID.

Aoko smiles faintly, reaching up to adjust the collar of his dress shirt. They are not ones for public displays of affection, but there is certainly an unspoken intimacy in their closeness in this long corridor, where they are waiting to enter the  _ Foam of Venus’  _ display room. “Your shirt matches the color of your eyes,” she murmurs, looking him up and down. He is not wearing a tie.

Saguru’s expression relaxes incrementally with affection, knowing from her words and tone that she accepts his apology. He lets himself take in her appearance for the night - a black cocktail dress that emphasizes the lines and dips of her figure. Her dark hair is arranged simply yet elegantly to the side and her lashes are long, framing sapphire-like eyes.

A chill runs down his spine.  _ At one point, KID had wanted to steal you, too. _

He is grateful that is no longer the case.

With those feelings fueling him, Saguru abruptly pulls her in close, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

“You’re beautiful, Aoko.”

He feels more than hears her breath catch, releasing her just as quickly as he had embraced her. Luckily, none of the other couples and groups in the line to enter the display room are paying attention to them. Aoko takes the chance to turn her head away, a fist to her mouth as she attempts to calm her racing heart and stomp down the blush she can feel in her cheeks.

“O-Oh, I just remembered,” she lets out with an awkward chuckle. Aoko turns to face him again but avoids his gaze, staring off to the side with a nervous smile on her face. “I went to lunch with Shinichi-kun today.” 

A single brow comes up. “‘...Shinichi-kun?’” Saguru echoes.

Aoko flinches at his tone as if only just now realizing what she had said. “Um, yeah, I told him to drop honorifics with me this afternoon since it would cause confusion on the heist scene with my dad being around and all…”

Saguru gives an unimpressed hum in response. “I see. You mentioned lunch?”

As the dots connect in her mind, Aoko finally meets her lover’s gaze again. Her eyes are glowing with fascination and mirth as she fights to keep an awed smile off of her face. “Saguru-kun, are you jealous?”

The blond blinks in surprise at her question, but when it registers, redness rises to his cheeks. “I-”

“You  _ are!”  _ Aoko lights up, more pleased than he had expected her to be. She tilts her head back in laughter as Saguru’s expression becomes miserable. The blush in his cheeks burns brighter. 

“Aoko-san,” he presses, imploring.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she says, beginning to calm. Her eyes are still twinkling with laughter and a smile is still tugging on the corners of her lips. “It’s not what you think.”

“What do you mean?”

Aoko sighs, and with that almost-wistful sigh, the energy and glee she had been radiating moments before is replaced with something on the edge of sadness. “He only invited me so that we could talk about Kaito in private.”

“Kuroba-kun?” Saguru blinks in surprise, brows crinkling. “What for?”

She does not immediately answer, choosing instead to slide her arm into the crook of his elbow once more and lean comfortably against him. Her gaze is directed forward, but Saguru has a distinct feeling that she is seeing something far away - something out of his own sight.

“Their story is probably a lot longer than either of us will ever know.”

* * *

**August  
Two Years Ago**

“Ku-Ku-Kudou Shinichi?!”

The detective smirks, hands tucked into his pockets nonchalantly. “That’s me,” he says, head tilted back as amusement and confidence oozed from his stare.

The renowned Moonlight Magician is currently frozen in an awkward, far-from-elegant pose at the edge of the rooftop they stand on together now. His tophat is knocked askew on his head, from when the thief’s hands had flown up in surprise.

In less than ten minutes from now, he is supposed to be downstairs, stealing a mega-sized diamond called  _ Sirius  _ despite it being the wrong season for this heist. Instead, here he is now, having just finished placing the final touches on his work for tonight’s show, only to be cornered by none other than Kudou Shinichi.

“No way!” KID breathes, a grin ticking up to his mouth. “Meitantei, what happened? What about Tantei-kun?”

KID’s excitement is contagious, and a little surprising. The smirk on Shinichi’s face melts into a boyish grin as the thief’s energy begins to affect him. “I changed back about four months ago.”

The thief stares at him for a moment longer, and though he seems as if he wants to ask many more questions, he straightens up instead. Shinichi blinks in confusion as KID approaches him, but because he does not sense any danger from the thief, he remains still.

KID takes his hand, then bows to kiss the back of it quickly enough that Shinichi has no chance to jerk away. “Congratulations,” he murmurs, a smile dancing on his face. It becomes a full-blown KID grin when Shinichi blushes a deep vermillion in surprise.

“Your teasing won’t work on me, idiot,” he scoffs, pulling his hand away. He holds it against his chest with his other hand as if to protect it.

“So it’ll work if it’s not teasing?” the thief returns eloquently, magicking a pristine, red rose from his sleeve in an impossible-to-follow sleight of hand. He tucks its stem into the breast pocket of Shinichi’s blazer. “There we are,” he murmurs, taking a step back harmlessly.

Shinichi’s mouth opens and closes as if he wants to say something else, but the thief turns away and walks towards his previous position. “Four months, huh… I’m surprised I never heard anything about Edogawa Conan disappearing.”

“His stay was temporary in the first place,” Shinichi retorted, crossing his arms over his chest and willing the blush in his cheeks to die. “And are you admitting to stalking me, KID?”

The thief chuckles, neither confirming nor denying. “Two years is temporary to you, Meitantei?”

“Kaitou KID disappeared for eight.”

“Touché.”

Shinichi watches silently as KID checks over his clothing and the tools and materials he needs for his heist one last time. He has always known about the thief’s meticulous nature, but it is something entirely different to see it with his own eyes.

He ignores the golden opportunity to capture the elusive phantom now.

Though KID is focused on his work, Shinichi can feel that his attention has not wandered from himself even once since this charade began. Slowly, the thief says, “If you’ve been back for four months but I haven’t seen anything about it on the news, that means…”

Their eyes meet, swirling with seriousness.

“I see,” KID says aloud with a sigh. “You and I sure have it hard, huh?”

Shinichi snorts. “Tell me about it.”

“Well, I know one thing for sure,” KID begins.

A particularly harsh gust of summer wind rushes past them, and the detective screws his eyes shut, raising an arm to protect himself. When he opens them once more, he finds that the wind has sent the thief’s cape flaring and fluttering behind him. His suit seems to glow white as the clouds above them part enough to let beams of moonlight flood the scene.

Though he does not wish for it to do so, Shinichi’s heart begins to race - to pound away at his chest relentlessly - at the sight of KID’s smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you.”

The wind dies, leaving behind only a stunned and expectant silence.

When the thief’s words register, Shinichi blinks stupidly to himself before clutching his stomach in laughter. “What’s with that?” he chuckles, brows furrowing upwards. “Aren’t you being too much of a romantic tonight, KID?”

“One can never be too much of a romantic!” he replies, tone almost scandalized. 

“You’re just trying to distract me from your escape attempt,” Shinichi accuses flatly. 

“Why? Is it working?” 

_ “Pfffft-!” _

Something warm rises in KID’s chest. He feels utterly compelled to make Shinichi laugh again and again if it means hearing such a wonderful sound. Still, the mood in the air shifts at the mention of the thief’s escape and the detective calms, returning his hands to his pockets and his trademark smirk to his lips.

“You can’t escape from me tonight, Kaitou KID.”

The wind howls in their ears once more, whipping around the rooftop in a deadly dance much like the one they share. KID, ever relaxed, shoves his hands in his pockets with a confident smirk, unconsciously mirroring him.

“I escape you every time, Meitantei.”

* * *

**November  
Present**

Kudo Shinichi shifts uncomfortably, nursing a flute of champagne against the walls of the ballroom. From his position, he can see the majority of the banquet hall and its guests. Though he had not initially intended to join the party in this way, the reason for his current discomfort is not the social setting.

No, it is something far worse.

He swallows thickly, leaning his head back against the wall and unconsciously baring his throat. If anyone were to strike up a conversation with him now, he is almost certain that his voice would come out strangled if not suspiciously breathy. A chill runs across the line of his shoulders and down the sides of his torso, like a phantom touch.

This room is absolutely brimming with the presence of Kaitou KID.

And Shinichi, just as he has always been able to, can feel his gaze. But  _ this _ is different  _ \-  _ this is unrelenting, heavy, heated. 

_ Where?  _ he wonders weakly, knowing it is futile. He has been trying to locate the source of that stare for the past hour, but no matter how many times he sweeps his eyes through the crowd, KID is nowhere to be found. 

Shinichi does not bother brooding over the question of  _ why  _ the thief has been staring at him so passionately. He  _ knows  _ why, and he knows what that gaze means.

He had felt it only once before.

_ Deep violet. So deep, that he thinks he will drown. He can count the number of times Kaitou KID has been this close to him on two hands, but never like this.  _

_ “Meitantei…” _

_ Never before like this. _

Shinichi jerks himself out of his memories and back into the present when the lights in the ballroom are abruptly shut off. Several guests in the crowd scream in fear at the party’s sudden interruption and the police radio in his ear is already energetically relaying orders.

But before anyone can move, the lights flicker back to life.

There, standing in the center of the ballroom as guests frantically scramble away from him is Kaitou KID, in full regalia. The screams return, this time as affectionate cheers and awe, or, in Nakamori-keibu’s case, anger. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

A thrill shoots down Shinichi’s spine.

“I have come here tonight to humbly present myself at your invitation,” the thief removes his hat momentarily, holding it to his chest in an elegant bow. “Allow me to begin tonight’s show!”

_ Invitation…? _

And with a snap of his fingers, the heist begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -*watery eyes*- we're so close to finishing this story that I lowkey avoid updating bc I don't want it to end TT^TT everyone say "thank you" to Taemin for giving us the song "Door" because definitely inspired me!!  
> Slowly, but surely, we're starting to see what happened between our male leads during the summer of two years ago...


	11. Three Men Make Tiger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Three men make tiger" is a proverb about gossip creating outrageous stories. It has to do with Shinichi's misunderstanding about Minamoto Ayako and Minamoto Kousuke, but also with the misunderstanding Kaito has been carrying with him throughout this entire work. This chapter is a dramatic one, so buckle up!

**November  
Present**

The banquet hall devolves into complete and utter chaos in a matter of moments, from guests struggling to leave to those joining the police in mobbing the infamous phantom thief. Shinichi, however, is rooted to the ground, eyes locked on KID’s form as he nimbly escapes each attempt at capture with unbelievable acrobatics. Although he feels an intense wave of emotion seeing KID in his element for the first time in over two years, what bars him from plunging headfirst into the fray is something in the thief’s earlier greeting…

_ “I have come here tonight to humbly present myself at your invitation.” _

Steeling himself, the detective takes one last moment to watch the famous Kaitou KID’s antics before turning his back on all the action and leaving the hall. The corridors outside are no less busy and only marginally quieter, so he hastily body checks the door to the nearest restroom. 

Pulling out his phone, he speed dials a familiar number and waits with bated breath as the other side of the line rings. “Hello, Megure-keibu?” Shinichi wastes no time. “I need you to look something up for me as fast as possible.”

“Do we have a case file for a Minamoto Nobuhiro-san?”

* * *

Roughly an hour later, Shinichi body checks yet another poor door - this time, for roof access. After speaking to Megure-keibu and receiving the information he needed, the pieces of the puzzle had naturally fallen into place. He’d gone back to the banquet hall only to find the entire task force, as well as Hakuba, stuck in various traps with the guests safely evacuated and long gone. Helping the inspector and Hakuba out of their traps, he had barely managed to stop them from chasing KID immediately. 

“Why?” Hakuba demanded, a red-faced Nakamori half a beat late to explode with the same question.

“I need you to catch the  _ real  _ culprit here tonight.”

And so here he is now, late for his usual rendezvous with the thief in white. Panting breathlessly from the exertion of sprinting up the stairs, Shinichi takes in Kaitou KID’s appearance from behind.

“Long time no see, Great Detective,” the thief greets. Shinichi can immediately discern the distant pep in his voice. 

The detective leans back against the roof access door, closing his eyes in mild annoyance. “You came despite the heist notice being fake.” 

This isn’t enough to make the thief turn around.

Shinichi tries again. “I said this during the  _ Four Treasures  _ heist too, but really, anyone with art skills could fool the police into thinking a notice is real.” He opens his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest now that he has caught his breath. “The culprit is Minamoto Ayako. She hired people to create a heist card in order to keep the  _ Foam of Venus  _ within the family, hoping to make a long-retired thief her scapegoat. Whether you actually showed up or not didn’t matter - she would only have to cut the power for a few short moments, take the pearl, then claim KID had stolen it.”

“And?” the thief prompts, hands in his pockets.

“She murdered Minamoto Nobuhiro, the previous CEO.”

A low whistle. KID is either surprised at the information or pretending to be impressed by his deductive skills again. Either way, Shinichi is beginning to grow frustrated with the thief’s cold attitude.

“It was deemed a traffic accident, but in reality, she had set everything up behind the scenes. She knew she was a candidate to become the next CEO and wanted to come to power sooner.” Shinichi smirks wryly. “I’m sure it was out of her calculations for her  _ stepbrother  _ Kousuke to be named the heir, but she quickly came up with the plan to sabotage the company’s investments in order to blame him for incompetence and take over after gaining the board’s support.”

KID scoffs. “You would have figured it out sooner if you hadn’t assumed she and Kousuke were  _ married.” _

Shinichi’s expression turns sour at this. “I’m not proud of it, but even I am prone to making mistakes. Same last name, always appearing together… they seemed close, and so I-” He shakes his head roughly. “-Anyway, there’s still something I don’t understand.”

“And that is?”

“The fact that you waited for me.”

Finally,  _ finally,  _ KID turns around to face him. Shinichi struggles not to sink under the weight of his gaze again, but that requires a tremendous amount of effort because he is taking the full brunt of it now. “I don’t see why that would confuse you,” the thief says, head tilting slightly. There is no smile tugging on his lips and it unnerves Shinichi. “Don’t I always stick around to hear your little deduction show?”

With how annoyed Shinichi feels now, it did not  _ feel  _ like a deduction show. Usually, there would be a rush of satisfaction from having solved the puzzle and captured the culprit before they could do any more harm, but tonight… 

Tonight, he wished he hadn’t needed to waste time talking about a case when he could be talking about much more important things with KID.

“You were avoiding me,” Shinichi points out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sapphire eyes narrow as annoyance flares up in him once more. “I’ve known your identity since the first time we met in the supermarket, dumbass.”

KID visibly flinches and Shinichi hates him for it. Had the thief  _ seriously  _ believed he’d been fooled?

“...If that’s the case, then why did you go along with it?”

The question momentarily catches Shinichi off-guard. The various swirling emotions he was feeling up until now dissolve like powder in water, and the detective heaves a sigh as he leans against the roof access door once more. He tilts his head up to look at the sky - there was no moon tonight.

A bitter smile.

“I wonder why...”

The air between them goes still and silent, as if not even the world around them had any intention of interrupting this scene between a misfit detective and a retired phantom thief. Even KID, who greeted every situation with an invincible grin, could not muster a smile.

“...What’s with that,” KID scoffs, and Shinichi knows immediately that he is hearing Kaito. “You knew this whole time and you just went along with it on a whim? Was it funny to you, detective?” His voice wavers with sarcasm and disbelief. “Was it fun to see how desperate I was?”

“‘Desperate?’” Shinichi echoed in demand. “The desperate one here was me. I was willing to do anything to see you again, after that day, even if it was only a lie.”

“Ha! What, you think if you take a page out of KID’s book, then I’ll fall for your coercion?” Kaito sneered. “Classic, Meitantei. All you ever do is try and mess with my head. Well, I’m sorry, but it’s been two years since then and I’m tired of this - I don’t want to see you again.”

There was a gloved hand splayed over KID’s chest with this declaration, but Shinichi only scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re lying. If you didn’t want to see me again, you wouldn’t have wormed your way into my life.”

“The one who wormed into my life was you!” Kaito explodes, rapidly closing the distance between them. In the next moment, there is a finger roughly jabbing into Shinichi’s chest. “Two years, and nothing but radio silence. Then all of a sudden, you’re popping up at my university, in my social circles…” The detective’s expression hardens. “What do you want from me? Did you break up with Mouri-chan again and now you want to cling to me for comfort?”

“...What?” Shinichi chokes out in utter disbelief.

Kaito is there, wearing KID’s clothes and smirking viciously at him with cold eyes. “That’s what happened the first time, isn’t it? The night you used me as a rebound for Mouri-chan.”

Shinichi stares, wide-eyed and with zero air in his lungs as Kaito hammers the last nail in the coffin.

“-The night we slept together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas :3c The next chapter will be M-rated, so please look out for that!


	12. Love the House and its Crow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a friendly reminder that third-year high school students in Japan are usually 17/18 years old. Since the following scene takes place in August, both Kaito and Shinichi are 18. :))

**August  
Two Years Ago**

Their hands are clumsy, shaky, and hurried - as if more aware of the implications of what they are doing than their owners. Their bodies refuse to allow any distance between them, like powerful magnets, and they kiss each other as if they need it in order to breathe.

As if they have both been waiting for this moment for a long time.

In the darkness of the hotel room, Shinichi can hardly make out any of KID’s features and, of course, makes no move to turn on the lights. There is just enough moonlight to let them stumble towards the bed, shedding layers of clothing on the way, the thief careful to keep his gadgets and gimmicks from activating all the while.

Laying themselves bare, they face the hot summer night.

_ Why is it that we reach for each other’s warmth? _

The last year of high school, but they have long since lost their innocence. They have missed the chance to experience their teenage years with all the bliss that a normal, peaceful life can offer - in favor of taking on greater destinies - but maybe, just maybe… 

Everything has led up to something like this.

_ Why is that you long for me just as much as I long for you? _

“KID… are you scared?” Shinichi breathes into the darkness. His hands roam unrestrained, over sharp edges and dips and curves.

It is a loaded question.  _ Are you comfortable? Will you regret this? Do you really understand what it is that we’re doing? _

KID’s lithe body writhes under him, and in a tone that exposes his effort and his grin, he replies, “Scared of you, Meitantei? Never.”

It will take a long time before Shinichi realizes he is lying.

* * *

**Present**

“...I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have,” Shinichi mutters darkly, still trapped against the wall as Kaitou KID’s arms cage him in. “But I never even once thought of you as Ran’s rebound.”

“Ha!” Kaito’s expression is twisted, half with bitter disbelief and half with disgust.

“It’s true that we started dating in the fall of our second year,” Shinichi plows on, not letting him get another word in. He isn’t sure whether Hakuba and the Inspector will decide to do one last sweep of the premises despite having let the thief go in favor of arresting the real culprit. “But we broke up on good terms-”

“-In the summer of your third year,” Kaito interrupts, voice cold. “Just before sleeping with me.”

Shinichi comes to a stop, understanding how Kaito might have come to the conclusion that he had simply used him to satisfy his own loneliness. The silence is thick between them, and his gaze sticks to the thief’s tie as he connects the pieces of the puzzle to form a greater picture. Not only had they slept together just after Shinichi’s break up, but the detective had fallen out of contact with him for two whole years, then shown up again like nothing ever happened - like nothing was wrong.

“What,” Kaito scoffs. “Nothing else to say for yourself? No more flowery pick-up lines?”

His tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth.

“You went ahead and forgot all about me during those two years,” Kaito murmurs darkly. “So I’m going to forget all about you from now on, too.”

At those words, Shinichi’s ears start to ring.  _ Forget…?  _ Disbelief rises in his chest.  _ Forget what? _ Everything, everything flashes through his mind. Haido City Hotel’s rooftop and a firework. A plane’s crash landing guided by the flashing red lights of police cars. A blimp and freefalling through the air. Tanned skin, snores too loud for comfort, and a custom-made suitcase. A cocky smirk here, a puff of pink smoke there, and a gloved hand that always saved  _ him  _ because he was so busy saving everyone else.

Shinichi mirrors Kaito’s earlier sarcastic grin.

“‘Forget…?’” he echoes, slowly looking up to meet the thief’s gaze. His tone becomes casual, arrogant. “Can you really do something like that?”

_ It's too late for that. _

“I can!” Kaito immediately lashes back. “I’m sick of running around in circles with you. I’m going to retire as Kaitou KID for real this time, and hang up everything we have right alongside this mantle-”

_ My marks are on your heart. _

Shinichi’s eyes narrow. “Then go ahead and try.”

_ I had you from the start. _

A sharp tug on KID’s tie brings their lips crashing together. Kaito freezes in shock and Shinichi watches his eyes blow wide through a half-lidded gaze before letting his own eyes softly slide shut. He coaxes the other’s mouth open, and can hardly contain the thrum of satisfaction in his gut when Kaito flinches, then melts, at the feeling of their tongues meeting.

Kissing Kaito has always been like tasting honey - sweet and thick and hinting at a tartness he can’t get enough of. And so Shinichi allows himself to indulge and kisses him until they both need air.

He pushes Kaito’s shoulders once they break apart, the thief stumbling back enough for Shinichi to finally put some space between them. Resolutely, he turns towards the exit, leaving a stunned Kaitou KID in his wake. Before stepping into the stairwell, Shinichi looks back over his shoulder, fixing Kaito with an unreadable look.

“Serves you right.”

The door shuts with a heavy, metallic clang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is probably not how you expected all of this to go now was it 💀


End file.
